


As My City Fades and Is Swallowed By His Sea

by fallsintograce



Series: Under This Painted Ocean [1]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Mythology, Based off Fan Art, F/M, Fluff, Half of the group are merfolks, Happy Ending, Katsuki family are all mer-manatees, Kelpsudon, M/M, Mer-manatee Yuuri, Mila owns a lighthouse, OC Antagonist, Octopus Ballerinas, Otabek fears the octopus ballet dancers tbh, Other half are humans, Phichit's hamsters are sea slugs, Slow Burn, The Octopus Ballet, The humans either work or live near the ocean, Treasure hunter Victor, Vicchan Lives, Vicchan is a puffer fish
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-16
Updated: 2018-08-01
Packaged: 2019-01-15 19:09:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 46,774
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12327063
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fallsintograce/pseuds/fallsintograce
Summary: Yuuri lives deep in the ocean where he is surrounded by his loving family and friends. He spends his days playing with Vicchan, swimming around, and eating bowls of kelpsudon. The only rule he was ever given was never to interact with any humans. He's been told they are dangerous and will cause nothing but harm to the ocean. So what happens when he finds famous treasure hunter Victor Nikiforov lurking around his home? More importantly, why is he drawn to him? (Multiple ships/Merman AU)





	1. Beneath the Ocean

**Author's Note:**

> I know what everyone is thinking. Another merman AU? What is wrong with you, G? Do we need more? (Yes, yes, we do)
> 
> I didn't have plans for another one (and yes, I Need Your Voice will still be updated asap. Chapter 3 will be out soon). However, blurblodmary drew a little cute doodle of mer-manatee Yuuri meeting Victor over here on tumblr: [Cute Art Here](https://artofmarylarson.tumblr.com/post/166158196985/a-meet-cute-under-the-sea-im-in-love-with) and [here](https://artofmarylarson.tumblr.com/post/166264219840/more-manatee-mer-yuuri-because-im-completely). (She is also the one who came up with the idea of kelpsudon). So my brain got to ticking and I decided to write a story with that. Plus manatees are adorable and I've watched too many videos with them in it. 
> 
> Make note that this will be multi-ship but it is mostly fluff all around. It won't really too deep. I'm a little sickish right now but I wanted to get this out as soon as possible. There may be errors here but I will take care of them tomorrow. Also, I didn't mention where they are for a specific reason. You'll find out soon enough. For now...mystery!

It was a balmy day at the beach yet not very people were walking down the shore. Since summer was almost over, things were very quiet. Not even the lighthouse, a popular sight on the beach, was getting many tourists. It was too eerie. The area was well known for ghosts and other supernatural phenomenons but that wasn't enough to bring anyone here. 

Mila Babicheva worked at the lighthouse and even she was surprised by the lack of people. In the past, living on the beach was a fun thing. She loved interacting with everyone that came around. She loved waking up to glorious sunrises and watching as the waves rolled in and out. The lighthouse belonged to Mila's family and now she was in charge of it. She rarely went down to the beach these days but she heard plenty of stories from it. Some people even claimed that they had seen mermaids although she didn't know how true those were. Still, she would have preferred to hear stories than the silence she was dealing with. It was lonely up here and that was why she was looking forward to the next few days. Things were going to change soon.

The top of the lighthouse was rather lonely. Very few people usually went up there and they only stayed for a short amount of time. The bottom of the lighthouse had a gift shop that sold the usual trinkets; T-shirts, mugs, magnets, and everything else in between. On a shelf in the corner were some books about the lighthouse and the ocean. Some of them were children's books that taught about the sea but a lot were books about shipwrecks and ruins. One of the most popular books that got sold was of pictures taken in the ocean. A lot of people liked the photographers but she figured the main reason it was popular was because of the cover. It was a picture of Victor Nikiforov, famous treasure hunter, showing off a bunch of gold coins he had discovered on the bottom of the ocean floor. Underneath his mask, everyone could see that he was excited. There were a few fish swimming around him but he was the main focus. 

However, things were going to get more exciting now. Victor was coming back here because he was hungry for a new adventure. He heard about some ruins deep in the ocean and he wanted to get whatever he could from it. Mila had no idea how long he intended to stay but she had rooms ready for him and his crew. Now it was just a waiting game. Maybe Victor's arrival would bring some life back to this empty beach. A few people that came around asked when he was showing up.

After an hour, the first guest to the lighthouse arrived. She ran outside to see Yakov Feltsman, retired treasure hunter and Victor's mentor, walking up to her. Excited, she held out her arms. "Yakov! I'm so glad you made it!" 

"Ah, Mila! It is so good to see you!" Yakov greeted her. 

"How are you?" Mila gave him a hug and lifted him off the ground. "You are so skinny now!" 

"Let me down, let me down! I know you're strong! You don't have to prove it every single time!" Yakov insisted. She laughed and put him back on the ground. "Ah, that's much better. I must admit that I've missed you. Being around Victor can be nothing short of stressful."

"Well, he learned everything from the very best. You think anyone has forgotten about the adventures of famed treasure hunter, Yakov Feltsman? People still ask me about you now and then."

"I'm sorry to disappoint them but there's nothing interesting happening with me. Not unless you want me to talk about chasing after Victor." 

Mila understood what he meant and felt some pity. Yakov had long since retired from the treasure hunting scene but he was always concerned about the ones who followed him. Out of everyone, Victor was his most prized pupil. Everyone knew about the legendary treasure hunter Victor Nikiforov and all his adventures. His face was plastered on plenty of books, magazines, and online articles. There he was, grinning widely and showing off what he had found at the bottom of the ocean. In his hands would be some kind of sea creature or some trinket that had been buried deep in sand. He was always very careful with the sea creatures. He'd play with them underwater, get a quick photo, and then leave them alone. He never wanted to hurt them. If he saw them in caught in nets or cages, he would release them much to the annoyance of others. Yakov had to tell him not to do that so much but Victor wouldn't listen. 

"I understand you are concerned about them but these people are doing their job as well. You cannot save every fish in the world, Vitya." He would point out. He had gotten enough complaints that he needed to sit down for a talk. "It's one thing to save a fish from a plastic ring around its neck. Destroying nets and releasing fish that fishermen have caught is another thing. They have been telling me that you are hurting their business so you need to stop."

"Yakov, you don't understand." Victor would wave this off. "They're doing more harm than good to the environment!"

"I understand but this isn't your job! Stick to what you know. Search shipwrecks and ruins. Let the people who protect the environment do their job, all right?"

Yakov had his best interests at heart but Victor cared too much about the creatures in the ocean. At twenty-seven, he had seen everything down there but there was still so much more to explore. The ocean was deep and vast and there were probably creatures out there that no one had seen. He wished to see those creatures but so far he had no luck. 

Mila saw that Yakov's good mood was starting to disappear. He had a rolled up magazine in one hand, which seemed to be the latest cause of his annoyance. "You look a little stressed, Yakov. Is something wrong?" 

"I need to have a talk with Yuri." Yakov grumbled, holding up the magazine. Yuri Plisetsky and his grandfather lived near the beach as well and worked for Yakov in an office. Yuri was an impatient young teen who didn't care too much for reading anything so the magazine was a surprise. The pages were filled with women who were far too old for Yuri. "I found this European Bombshells magazine on his desk! Last week, I found a From Russia With Love XXX magazine! Is this what he's wasting his time on these days?!"

Mila almost burst out laughing. "Those are not Yura's magazines. They belong to his grandfather."

"Of course they do." Yakov closed the magazine. "How are things at the lighthouse?"

"They are the same as usual. I keep hearing stories from people saying they saw mermaids or sirens. I'm still telling them stories about the sea. I don't know how many of them believe me. Other than that, it's all right. Boring but all right." Mila looked at the group. "I'm glad you are all here. It was getting lonely."

"I had to see how you were doing. Anyway, Victor and Chris are supposed to be here too. Have you seen them?"

She shook her head. Christophe Giacometti was Victor's friend and partner at work. The two of them had working together for years and had discovered a lot of things in the ocean. "I haven't heard from them since morning. They were on the road still."

"Well, let's wait for them. Hopefully, they aren't stuck in the traffic." 

After five minutes, Christophe Giacometti showed up but he was alone. Victor's beloved poodle, Makkachin, was trotting beside him. Her master was nowhere to be found. Yakov felt a headache coming on. He didn't know what had happened yet he had a good feeling why Chris was by himself right now. 

"Where is Victor? Isn't he supposed to be with you?" Yakov wanted to know.

"Oh, he went diving just an hour ago." Chris shrugged. "He said he had go back to those ruins because he thinks he missed something."

"You let him go alone?!" The vein in Yakov's forehead was about to burst. "How many times have I told you both?! You never go into the ocean alone! You are supposed to be his partner!"

"I told him the same thing. I promised to go with him the next time but...he didn't want to wait for me. I came back and found a note. And he...well, you should read it." He handed Yakov the note.

**Going treasure hunting! Don't wait up! ' ♡ '**

Yakov crumpled the note. "I don't even know why I bother with rules anymore! Ever since he was a child, he's never listened to me! He only thinks about himself!"

"I'm sure he's going to be all right." Mila assured him. "The ruins he was exploring aren't too far from here. He won't be gone for long. Victor may run off but he always comes back."

"I know he comes back but I'm worried. He told me that this time was going to be different. He was searching for something that he hasn't found yet." Yakov shook his head. "I asked him a million times what that was and he always has the same answer; love and life. I wanted to know what that meant to him. He said he wasn't sure but that's what he needs."

"Well, I sincerely hope he finds it one day. He came to the lighthouse earlier and asked me if I saw anything new. I told him that the ocean is the same as it's always been. I get visitors telling me stories and buying souvenirs. No one has seen anything new."

"That might change soon." Chris said. "Victor thinks he saw something in the ruins yesterday. That's why he went down now."

"Of course. I don't even know why I bother telling him anything anymore." Yakov rubbed his forehead. "If either of you see him, tell him to come and see me. In the meantime, I'm going to talk to talk to Yura's grandfather and ask him what these magazines are all about!" 

Mila laughed and waved him off before looking out at the ocean. Chris followed her gaze, knowing exactly what she was thinking. "He'll be back soon but not until he finds what he's looking for."

"Which is?"

"Victor thinks he's being watched when he's in the ocean. Every time he goes down to those ruins, he thinks he's being followed. Yet when he looks around, there's nothing but fish. He searches the area but finds nothing. I told him he's being paranoid but he insists that someone is watching his every move."

"How about you? Have you noticed anything strange?"

"Not really. I want to believe him but I think he's imagining things now. The sooner we leave this place, the better I'm going to feel." 

Mila nodded but she had a good feeling they weren't leaving any time soon. There was something out in that ocean. The waves rolling in and out told her that things were going to change in this sleepy little town very soon. 

Something was on the horizon.

~ ~ ~ 

**Four days later...**

The ocean was vast with many unexplored areas. For years, people went down there and hoped to find something new. Most of them ended up unsuccessful. All they had were stories to tell about things they might have seen and maybe the occasional trinket from the ground. People did love to drop things here and there. If they do go back to get them, they never found them. That's because something was always taking those items away. It wasn't the fish or any of the other sea creatures gobbling them up. 

It was down in this ocean where Yuuri was born and raised. It was here that he was living with his family and friends. For the most part, he enjoyed it. It was a hidden area that humans couldn't find on their own. They were all very safe down here and were free to live the way they wanted to. This was their home. No one could hurt them. Well, at least no human could hurt Yuuri. The merfolk were another story. 

The teasing had nothing to do with his personality. Everyone liked him and didn't mind spending time with him. It was just that Yuuri didn't look like a typical merman and it was all because of his tail. He looked fine from the waist up. Below, he had the same manatee shape that the rest of his family had. He didn't have a gorgeous golden tail like the one that Phichit had. He didn't have the beautiful light green tail that Guang-Hong had, the blue and white one that Otabek had, or even the gorgeous dark green one that JJ had. No, his tail was dull and gray. He got made fun of when he was younger. He was a fat little mer-manatee to everyone. They told him to stop eating so much kelpsudon but he couldn't help it. He knew it wasn't good for him but he ate it anyway. 

"Watch where you're swimming, fatso!" Takeshi Nishigori, a neighbor and husband to Yuuri's friend Yuuko, would call out to him. "You're taking up the entire ocean!"

"Takeshi, stop!" Yuuko would hiss, pulling her husband away and looking apologetically at Yuuri. "I'm sorry! He doesn't mean that! Don't listen to him!"

Yuuri had spent years not listening to the taunts. Fortunately, he didn't get that many of them to begin with. He had many friends down here and was grateful for their company. His best friend, Phichit, lived nearby and loved to take Yuuri exploring everywhere in the ocean. He knew where all the best areas in the ocean were and the places where humans swam around. These places were both beautiful and terrifying. Out of everyone living here, Phichit was the most interested in humans. He had a collection of trinkets that humans had thrown away that included something called glasses. Yuuri had a hard time seeing as it was but when he put 'glasses' on his face, he saw everything better. He didn't know how or why but he didn't squint as much now. He wanted to wear 'glasses' everywhere he went but he realized this belonged to a human. However, he didn't know how to approach any humans. He tried to get Phichit to return them but Phichit insisted that he do this on his own.

"They can't be that bad, Yuuri." He would say. "They're like us, only they have legs and feet. If we're nice to them, they'll be nice to us. If you're afraid of talking to them, just leave them on the shore and someone will find them."

That's what they ended up doing and the humans ended up finding them. Phichit still insisted that they should have handed them over. People weren't evil. They were merfolk with feet. That was all. It was a nice concept but Yuuri didn't care too much about them until recently. Yuuri had been playing with pet puffer fish, Vicchan, when he saw him. He got close to some ruins and was shocked to find a human nearby it. Lots of divers came down here and he admired how graceful they were. He didn't have that grace. His tail just flopped around and he looked clumsy. That was why he went to his teacher, Minako, so he could learn how to move gracefully. He was getting better at but he wasn't like the human divers out. He would watch them all the time but now there was one that caught his eye. Vicchan also noticed the human and was intrigued. He kept puffing up but Yuuri had to keep a hold on his pet.

"Don't bother him." He scolded Vicchan who tried to swim away. "That's a human! We're not supposed to get anywhere near them!" 

That was what he told Vicchan but Yuuri himself was curious too. He couldn't get close but he could observe from a distance. At first, he thought that the human would only be here for one day. Then that human kept coming back. For four straight days, Yuuri went back to the same spot just to see what was going on. 

Normally, the human came with other humans and they explored those remains together. For that reason, Yuuri was always scared to approach them. Phichit almost got close enough but they swam away before he could say anything. JJ always tried to get their attention but no one looked in his direction. The rest of the merfolk were just too scared to get close or they didn't like humans. They did everything they could to scare them away. They would swim closely to them, play around, make sounds, and just try to be a big nuisance. They never wanted to hurt anyone; they just wanted the humans to go away. Humans did not belong to the ocean. They needed to stay on the land that they were born on. If they got too close, they could cause more harm than good. For everyone's sake, they had to stay away from each other.

There was a good reason everyone was scared of humans. Over the years, humans had done a lot of damage to the ocean. They were leaving their garbage everywhere and it was starting to harm the other creatures. Vicchan had almost gotten caught in some plastic rings once. If it weren't for Mari being able to tear those rings apart, Yuuri's beloved pet would have probably died. Another time, Vicchan had choked on a plastic piece. He was able to spit it out but he wasn't feeling well for the rest of the day. Yuuri knew where all that junk had come from. Some careless human had been throwing it into the water. Vicchan was one of the luckier ones. Other fish didn't get that luck. 

"Be careful around them." Yuuri's father warned everyone. "Those humans do not care about us. They do not care about keeping the ocean safe. It is up to us to do that. As for all of you, steer clear of them. Don't speak to them. Don't look at them. The only thing you should do is chase them away. You are safer down here than you would be with them." 

For his part, Yuuri followed his parents' rules. They didn't fear humans but they were not fond of them either. It wasn't a huge problem in the past. Most humans didn't even bother getting near their home. They just puttered around, dug through the sand, and then went to the surface. At most, they might have taken something from the ocean floor but it usually something that didn't belong. It could be something shiny or hard that was stuck in the sand. No one seemed to mind that because those shiny things belonged to humans anyway. They were doing everyone a favor by removing all the metal parts.

Yuuri didn't care to get close to humans until the one day he saw one. He didn't know what it was about this human but he was intrigued. The human was searching around some remains that had been there for many years. Other humans had come down here before but they never caught Yuuri's eye. They were just too focused on their own work. Vicchan tried to go after them but he always pulled his pet back. No one ever saw him while he spied on them. However, they never did anything interesting. He never wanted to approach them.

This human was different. He was digging through the sand like many others but Yuuri couldn't stop staring. One day, the human was alone and Yuuri thought about getting closer. His heart was pounding as he tried to control Vicchan. His pet was ready to swim out to the human and play with him. He had to keep Vicchan still because he didn't want to make a sound.

"Shh, Vicchan! Don't bother him! He doesn't need to know we're here!" He whispered, peering at the human. "Isn't he beautiful?"

The human's hair was silver like the color of the moon and he looked like he was a trusting person. He seemed very respectful of the fish that were swimming around him. He didn't bother them as they passed him by. A few times, he would look up and wave at them. It was so hard to tell what color eyes he had since the mask covered most of his face. Despite all the diving equipment, Yuuri could tell he was a handsome human. One day, he wanted to get close enough to talk to the human. He was still very scared but he didn't see any harm in watching. 

"I wonder what he's thinking." Yuuri murmured, barely able to hold onto Vicchan. "What do you think he sounds like, Vicchan? What is his name? Where does he live? I have to know?"

Vicchan could not longer stay still despite his master's warnings. He got away from Yuuri and swam over to the human. Yuuri almost screamed when that happened.

"Vicchan, no!" He hissed. "Come back! You can't bother him!"

It was too late. Vicchan was close to the human and swimming around him. Yuuri felt like sinking into the sand. He just hoped that the human didn't pay attention to Vicchan. After all, he ignored a lot of the other fish. If Vicchan just swam around and didn't try to play, there was no harm done. Yuuri hid behind a giant rock and tried to beckon his pet back to him. He didn't want to yell because then he would give himself away. He tried softly whispering to him and waving his hands. Vicchan completely ignored him and tried to get the human's attention. 

_Please don't do anything to him, Vicchan. He's a human! You aren't supposed to play with humans! I told you never to play with them!_

The human looked up while Vicchan was hovering right over his shoulder. He didn't notice the little puffer fish but he did sense that he was being watched. He looked behind him and Yuuri ducked down. He hoped that he didn't make sound when he did that. The human finally took notice of Vicchan and stared at him for a second. Yuuri watched them carefully.

 _Please don't hurt Vicchan._ He silently pleaded. _He didn't mean to bother you. He just wanted to play. I hope you understand! Just leave him alone and everything will be fine!_

Vicchan tried to nudge the human who waved at him. Yuuri held his breath and watched as his pet played around. Vicchan zipped back and forth, trying to confuse the human. So far, everything seemed good. The human seemed amused by this and tried to chase Vicchan around. Vicchan was a lot faster but he was having fun. This was the closest he had gotten to a human before. Despite humans throwing their garbage around in the ocean, he didn't fear them. He just saw them as merfolk who didn't have tails but legs to move around with. Yuuri just wished he felt confident enough to approach the human like Vicchan did.

Okay, Vicchan, that's enough playing around. He thought, peeking up from the rock and trying to motion Vicchan to come back. It was getting late and he was getting hungry. He wanted some kelpsudon to help calm his nerves. However, he couldn't get that until Vicchan stopped bothering the human. Finally, he said something.

"Vicchan!" He whispered loud enough for his pet to hear. Vicchan finally noticed him and turned around. Unfortunately, the human turned around at the same time and Yuuri sunk behind the rock again. He hoped that the human didn't think to come over here. He wanted to look up but he was scared. He had been warned many times never to be spotted by humans. He could watch them from a distance but he couldn't interact with them. 

To his relief, Vicchan was the one who came to his side and not the human. His secret was safe for now. He held Vicchan in his hands and scolded him. "Don't ever leave me like that again! What if that human hurt you?"

Vicchan gave him look to say that the human was harmless. All he did was play around with him. Yuuri knew the human wouldn't hurt his beloved pet but he was still scared. He didn't want a human to find him. Then that would mean the human would want to meet everyone else. That human would find out the truth about their world and that wouldn't make the other merfolk happy. Most of them hated humans so he didn't dare to introduce one to them.

"Let's go home." He whispered, gently petting Vicchan. "Next time, don't get close to that human. You know the rules. They're not supposed to see us. They're not one of us."

Vicchan seemed to understand that and Yuuri swam away, hoping that the human would not follow him. He had to remind himself that they came from two different worlds. Humans did not belong in the ocean. Merfolk did not belong on land. Even if they did speak to each other, they couldn't do much together. It would be hard to be friends with a human. He had to pull away from him.

Somehow, something told him he had to return to that spot. Human or not, he had to see him again. He had to go back. 

And so he did.


	2. I Want To Dive Into Your Ocean

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few more characters introduced. When will they meet?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your support. I'm managing to balance this and "I Need Your Voice (To Cross These Lands Of Ice)" at the same time. Not beta-ed but I will fix any and all of my things in the morning. And a thanks again to Mary for her adorable little doodles that inspired this!

Yuuri could not stop thinking about the human at the ruins. He was afraid of him but very much intrigued. In a way, he was glad Vicchan got close to him. It allowed him to see if this human was friendly or dangerous. If the human had tried to hurt Vicchan, he would have intervened and saved his pet. He didn't know how he would have fought this human but he would have done anything to keep his little puffer fish safe. However, the human turned out to be friendly and had no issues playing with Vicchan. He didn't even seem bothered by any of Vicchan's antics. He was willing to stop searching to have fun. Even though Yuuri couldn't see much of his face, he knew that the human wasn't annoyed. He was probably smiling underneath the mask and loving the interactions with the puffer fish. 

"It was very close." Yuuri was telling his friend, Phichit, about the encounter. "I thought I would have to reveal myself to that human. Vicchan refused to come back after I called for him."

"Well, it's a good thing the human wasn't awful. Vicchan seems like he had fun." Phichit said, playing around with his sea slugs. Like Yuuri, he had pets but they were much smaller in size. He had named them strange names: Gold, Silver, and Bronze. According to Phichit, humans played in some kind of thing called Olympics. He had heard stories about them from other merfolk who knew of human life. The Olympics awarded these humans with things called medals and the colors of the medals were gold, silver, and bronze. He figured they were perfect names for the slugs despite not being those colors. 

"Yeah, Vicchan had fun but now I'm worried. What if that human comes back?"

"So what if he does? If he's kind, he's not going to hurt you or Vicchan. You should try talking to him."

"Really? Humans aren't the same as merfolk, Phichit. What would we even talk about?"

"Anything! I'm sure you could come up with something! If it were me, we would be talking about everything. I'd show him my collection and ask him what half of these things did! I still haven't figured out what most of them are." 

Yuuri looked around the cavern where his friend kept his collection of human creations. It was no surprise that they had different thought on how to approach people. Phichit wanted to make friends with humans yet never got to interact with them. Instead, he ended up collecting whatever junk they dropped in the ocean. He had all kinds of things from kitchen utensils to fake jewelry. He didn't know what half of these things did but he liked looking at them and trying to figure them out. His latest find was something that gave off a big flash when he pressed a button on it. The first time he did this, he aimed the thing at his face and it nearly blinded him. The second time he tried that, he was with Yuuri and they both were nearly blinded. After fiddling around with it, they discovered this contraption took pictures. They learned that this was called a camera and that was it did; it took pictures of humans and the things they were surrounded by. It was like it had captured a moment in time. 

"I want to keep this." Phichit decided, looking at the camera. "I feel sorry for the poor human that lost this but they never claimed it. I guess it's mine."

"So you're going to steal it?"

"I'm not stealing it. They lost it and they haven't come back for it. I left this on the sand for three days and no human returned for it. I can only guess that they don't want it anymore."

"What if it breaks?" Yuuri asked. "What are you going to do then? There's no one that knows how to fix this."

"Well, I'll figure something out if that happens. For now, I think this is my favorite human item. I hope more humans drop their cameras in here. Maybe one day I can ask them how it actually works! Isn't it fascinating?"

It was fascinating but Yuuri wasn't anxious to ask humans about this. He felt happier just watching them from the distance. He could observe them without them finding out about him. The divers were very graceful and seemed to be in their own world. However, he knew it would be different if he tried to bother them. They would be shocked at the sight of his half-human, half-manatee body. He didn't even know if they would be friendly or not. He had heard plenty of horror stories about them. Apparently, humans used to capture merfolk and put them in cages so other humans could watch them. Humans would pay other humans to watch these poor merfolks suffer in tiny glass cages. They would never have enough room to move. As a result, those poor merfolk would die. 

While Yuuri didn't know of any merfolk who had been captured, he heard enough to know that this happened. He had once seen a dead merman and it was a horrifying sight. The poor thing had been caught in a human's net and struggled to get out. By the time anyone was able to find him, he was already gone. Everyone felt guilty about this because they knew they could have saved him. If they had come a little sooner, they would be able to pull him out of that net and he would be alive. Yuuri didn't know who the merman was but he was upset over it. From this day forth, he would shudder whenever he looked at nets. Those were the worst things that humans had ever creature. He was careful not to be caught by one and he made sure Vicchan didn't get caught so easily either. His pet was tiny and could slip into anything. 

"Keep Vicchan away from the humans, Yuuri." His mother warned him. "They could take him away from you or even worse. You can't let him out of your sight. At the same time, I don't want you getting close to them. They won't hurt you if they don't know about you."

"I won't." Yuuri promised. "I won't get anywhere near a human."

That had been in the past but now Yuuri had a human that he was interested in. So far, the human had no idea that Yuuri had been spying on him. He knew about Vicchan but that wasn't worrisome. There were puffer fish everywhere. This would not surprise any human swimming around. However, Vicchan was almost too friendly with the human. He played around like he knew this person. He had no fear of humans and would probably play with him again if he saw him. However, Yuuri had to reel his pet back in.

"I know the human seemed friendly to you but don't do that again." He scolded his pet. "When I call you, you come it to me. It doesn't matter what that human does to you. He might seem friendly at first but that doesn't mean he is."

Vicchan gave him a look that said he would obey his master. Of course, he had given that look many times before and he still was disobedient. Somehow, he couldn't see humans as evil creatures to stay away from. They were just more creatures who were sharing the ocean with everyone else. It didn't help his fear but he didn't hate them. 

As he left Phichit's cavern, he thought about going back to the ruins. The human had been there the past few days and he usually showed up around this time. This time, he would allow Vicchan to get close to the human again. He would observe of the behavior had changed or if the human was still friendly. Then when he was certain of it, he would try to approach the human. He just hoped he didn't scare him.

He was swimming towards them when he heard some voices behind him. "Can you believe it?! Those humans are so irresponsible! This poor thing could have swallowed it!"

Turning around, he found Leo and Guang-Hong coming from another end and neither one seemed very happy about something. He slowly approached them to see what was the matter. "Is everything okay? Who swallowed something?"

"Oh, it's the same old thing, Yuuri." Guang-Hong sighed. "Leo and I found so many fish with their bodies stuck in these rings. They couldn't get out and it took me a long time to free them. Those rings are very tough. I hope the fish will be all right."

"They should be but we got lucky this time." Leo added. "We've come across some fish that were choking on the rings. It took a while for me to help them. Can you believe it?" 

It was hard to believe but not all that surprising. Leo and Guang-Hong both lived nearby and were inseparable. They spent most of their days trying to free fish and other creatures from human nets and cages. In the past, it wasn't so bad but lately, they were finding so many of their friends caught in these things. Not only that, some of these creatures were getting caught in things called plastic rings. Fish or some sea mammals would end up getting these rings around their necks or in their throats. Sometimes, it was a painful procedure but they had managed to save many creatures. 

"The rings weren't the worst part either." Guang-Hong finished off. "This poor puffer fish...I can't believe that someone would hurt it." 

"What happened this time?" Yuuri asked.

"We found more fish caught in someone's net. Most of them got out fine but this poor thing had a hook caught in his mouth." Leo held up a puffer fish that looked a lot like Vicchan. The fish was fine now but he could only imagine the pain it was in earlier. "I'm glad we were able to find him before things got worse."

"Is he going to be all right?"

"Yeah, these fish will be fine. We got there just in time." Guang-Hong explained. "Any later and he probably would have swallowed this. Why are humans so careless with their things? Yesterday, I found a bunch of human garbage on the ground. None of them ever come back to claim them either. They just leave them lying around."

"That's awful." Yuuri looked at the puffer fish and wondered how he'd react if this happened to Vicchan. "I think we should probably let him go. Hopefully, he doesn't run into humans again."

"Speaking of humans, there are some swimming too close to our home." Leo pointed out. "They must be checking out some ruins so you should be careful around them. Guang-Hong and I were coming back when we saw one of them lurking by some of the coral. Fortunately, they didn't hear us. Just watch out for them."

This was not surprising to anyone. More humans were coming down to those ruins but that was usually where they stayed. If they were getting too close to home, then the merfolk would have to chase them out. 

"Um, out of curiosity, what did the humans look like?" Yuuri asked.

Guang-Hong shrugged. "I didn't really pay attention to that. They're just humans."

"Oh. Never mind then. I was just curious." 

He was disappointed but not surprised. Leo and Guang-Hong didn't care that much about the humans that visited the ocean. They didn't hate them but they didn't want to get too close to them either. They were already very irritated with the humans that were polluting the ocean. While they would never attack a human, they wouldn't be friendly with them either. Yuuri just hoped that his human would never cross paths with them. 

"Well, we need to go. There's one more area we need to check before we're done for the day." Leo nodded at Yuuri and Vicchan. "We'll see you around. Watch out for the humans."

"We will. Have you see any humans near the ruins today?"

"Not really. It's been very quiet around there today. Humans did lurk around earlier but I guess they found what they wanted." Guang-Hong said. "That's a good thing though. Now they won't be hanging around our home."

"Oh." Yuuri tried his best to hide his disappointment. He didn't want that human to go away yet. "Thanks. I'll see you later."

He knew it was a good thing but he still wished to see these humans. The human that he found swam better than a fish did. He wanted to move just like that human with that same amount of grace. They were so graceful and he knew someone who could help him be that graceful. If anyone out there could teach a merman to dance underwater, it was Minako. 

Minako had a human body for her top half but her bottom half was like a jellyfish. She could move with the waves and twirled around with ease. When she was younger, she used to move from sea to sea and danced for other merfolk. She had been a star dancer and had taught many others how to move the way she did. It never bothered her that she didn't have a tail like a regular mermaid. She learned to dance with the body that she had. Now that she was much older, she stopped moving from sea to sea. She spent her days teaching her merfolk how to move with grace and dance instead. Yuuri was now one of her students and he spent many hours to perfect his moves.

He went down to see his teacher when she was finished her latest class. All her other students had left so she was surprised when Yuuri showed up. "Our session isn't until tomorrow, Yuuri. Did you forget?"

"I know that. I just was wondering if you could help me with something."

"Of course. What is on your mind?"

"Well, I want to move like humans do." Yuuri began.

Minako gave him a look. "That might be impossible given that humans have legs. They use their legs to move on land. You don't belong on the land."

"I know but I've seen them swimming around. It's different from how we swim."

"That's because they don't have a tail like we do. They have to kick with their legs to move. Sometimes, they have to use their arms as well. You and I have an easier time with it than they will."

"That's true but there's one human I've noticed..."

"A human?" Minako sighed. "Please tell me you haven't approached them."

"I didn't! I can't approach him. I just watched him from a distance." Yuuri explained, looking over at Vicchan. "Unfortunately, he did find one of us."

Minako looked at Vicchan who had puffed up and was floating around. "Why am I not surprised? This little guy is just too friendly with everyone. Did the human do anything to him?"

"No, he just played around with him. That's why I'm interested in learning more about this human. He doesn't seem as bad as humans sound. He didn't hurt Vicchan. He didn't even seem annoyed by him. They just played for a while and then I called Vicchan back."

"Did he spot you?"

"No, I don't think so. I got away before he could find me. However, there was something about him that I can't stop thinking about. I know it's wrong and I'm not supposed to think about humans. But he's different."

"How?" Minako wanted to know. "How is this human different from the ones that are laying those traps and throwing garbage in the ocean? Do you how many poor sea creatures were caught and killed by humans? They've done more harm than good to the seas."

"I know that but I don't think this human is like the others. He seems gentle and I want to understand him. I want to move like he does."

"What?"

"I want to move like a human in the water. I know this tail is not like human legs but maybe I can be graceful like one. You should have seen him, Minako-sensei. Maybe then you could understand."

Minako thought about this for a second. "You're not going to let me go until I teach you something, are you?"

"So are you saying you'll teach me?"

"It doesn't sound like I have much of a choice. All right, Yuuri. I'll teach you what I know. I'm not sure it will be enough but we can try. When do you want to start?" 

"We can start now if you have time. I have nothing to do right now. I just need all the help I can get."

"Fine then. Let's see what we can try." She nodded, motioning him to come into her studio. That was what she called the place where she danced even though it was made of nothing but rocks and seaweed. "First, we need to think about how humans swim. From there, we can put something together." 

For the next hour or so, Minako helped Yuuri with his moves. She knew what he meant when he said he wanted to move like the divers. She had seen many of them swimming around and kept her eye on them. Like most merfolk, she had a fear of them. Even when they were swimming around, she didn't want to get near them. She knew how dangerous they could be. She had her own share of horror stories about them. 

"They have hurt so many creatures out here and for what? For their own pleasure?" She would often say, shaking her head. "Humans are so terrible sometimes. A few of them might care about the sea but many of them don't know what's going on. So many of them don't even care. Not only that, they don't care about the creatures on the land. I once saw some seagulls with their necks stuck in the rings. The poor things were bleeding when I freed them! You be careful around them, Yuuri. More importantly, do not touch any of those dangerous rings."

Yuuri trusted her and he knew she would help him be as graceful as the divers. He didn't want to show up to this human, swimming like a clumsy little manatee. He wanted to be smooth and fluid. Minako made all of this look so easy. She floated around and spun with the water. She was one with the waves. 

"Very good, Yuuri. Move a little slower though. You don't want to scare off anyone by moving too fast."

They kept working on these moves until Minako seemed satisfied with Yuuri's progress. "Good! Very good! I think we should call it a day for now. I want you to keep practicing on your own time. Remember, you are more than welcome to my studio even if I have students. I'll let you take a tiny practice area of your own if you wish."

"Thank you, Minako-sensei. You've helped me more than you realize." Yuuri bobbed his head at her. "I hope these moves look as good as the human divers one day."

"I'm sure they will. You are very focused and you've already improved a lot." She agreed. "I'll see you around then. You can come tomorrow if you wish around this and we can continue where we left off."

"Sounds good. Come on, Vicchan!"

He felt like he was floating on air when he left the studio. Now he felt like he was moving like human divers and felt very graceful. Maybe one day, he would get a chance to meet up with that human and show off for him. 

Maybe one day, he would know who this human really was. 

~ ~ ~

On the land, humans had no idea what to expect with the sea. The weather was chilly and the waves were crashing on the shore. However, the scene in Mila's house was another story. She had a tiny cottage next to the lighthouse that she offered to guests. Normally, this was a quiet little place but it didn't feel that way tonight. Both she and Chris were leaning back and watching the show before them. Yakov was screaming at Victor as usual and Victor was pretending to listen. He didn't like the fact that Victor was running off on his own without any of his partners. Not that this surprised anyone. Victor was known for doing things that would shock people. It wouldn't feel right if he didn't. 

At the same time, Yakov had reasons to be concerned. This area wasn't very safe for anyone. If he had gone too far, it would be hard for anyone to find him. The waves looked dangerous so no one needed to go out without permission. 

"Very disobedient, irresponsible, careless..." Yakov was naming off everything he could think of. "How could you, Vitya? I have told you many times to let someone know when you are going into the water! Tell your partner at least! What if something happened to you down there? What if you got lost or hurt?"

"Oh, Yakov, I've done this many times!" Victor sighed happily, staring out the window. It was too dangerous to dive now but the scene was gorgeous. The moon was hanging in the air and the light shined on the water. "I won't get hurt. I've even played around with sharks and I've see sea snakes that are dangerous! I came out in one piece, didn't I?"

"All the same, even experienced divers can run into trouble. Promise me that you will at least go with Chris the next time you go down." Yakov suggested. "I will feel better if nothing else. Do you want me to suffer?"

"No." Victor shook his head. "I will be careful next time. Chris and I will go down to the ruins together tomorrow morning. Is that fine?"

"That's all I ask of you. I want you to tell me where you are going." Yakov was satisfied with this answer. "Now time for the important part; what have you found so far?"

"The ruins have so much in them but the most interesting thing was the puffer fish."

"A puffer fish?" Mila cut in. "Tell me you took pictures!"

"I didn't but that doesn't matter. The puffer fish was very friendly and he reminded me of Makkachin." He looked down at his poodle who curled up at his feet. The long trip had been hard on her and she was now resting. "He was playing around with me until I heard something."

"Was it another fish?" 

"No, it sounded like something I've never heard before. Before I could figure out what it was, the fish swam away. I tried to follow the direction of the sound and I found nothing." He shrugged. "I do think there was something there though. I felt like someone was watching me."

"But you were alone." Chris pointed out. "If I were there, I would be the one keeping my eye on you. However, you said no one else was with you."

"That's right. I thought I was alone. Did anyone else go down after I did?"

"Nope. You were alone." Chris saw the look on Victor's face and knew something was up. "Tell me truth; what did you really see down there?"

"I...I don't know. That's what I want to find out. I feel like I was being watched but I don't know by who or what."

"Well, next time, go down with Chris and you won't feel paranoid anymore." Yakov decided, looking at the clock on the wall. "It's late now. I'm going to bed and I hope the rest of you do the same."

One by one, they all said good night to each other but Victor wasn't ready to go to bed. He knew what he had heard down there. That puffer fish was adorable and it clearly belonged to someone. The way it moved around told him that it was a trained fish. Yet there was no one else with him at that moment. That was what he had thought. He only told Chris where he was going and Chris didn't follow him. No one else knew about this until well after he was gone. Maybe that puffer fish was just a friendly little thing that wanted to play. It made the most sense to him. 

Then he remembered seeing something hiding behind the rocks. He thought it was a fish but it seemed too big to be one. The puffer fish went away at the sound of the voice so he decided to follow it. By the time he got to the rock, the fish and whatever else spied on him was gone. He wondered if it was his imagination until he looked down at the sand. If he didn't know any better, it seemed like someone had been lying around that area. Someone had been here. Someone left their mark in the sand. Someone had been hiding behind these rocks. 

Someone was watching him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow me on tumblr: fallsintograce. I do talk about other things too now and then and I swear I don't bite!


	3. In Our Little Hideaway Beneath The Waves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little more slow burning...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this is still a slow chapter but I promise by the next one, something interesting will happen. Your truly is balancing two merman AUs (this and I Need Your Voice) and has two other WIPs that will come out in November. Throw in a few other things and...well, I'm a busy person. I wanted to get this out so it may be a little unedited. I will fix any and all issues in the morning! 
> 
> Thanks to everyone who has kudos, commented, and is following along. I hope I don't disappoint and I will try to update as quickly as possible.

Yuuri didn't tell his parents about the human because he knew how they would react. It would be one of two things; they would be horrified or they would accept the human as their new son-in-law. If they saw this human and saw how gentle he was with Vicchan, they would accept him with open arms. However, Yuuri had yet to approach the human himself. He didn't know how the human would react towards him or his friends. For the time, he would have to keep this a secret from almost everyone. Three people would be kept in secrecy about the human; Phichit, Minako, and now his sister, Mari. If he ran into Yuko, he would probably tell her too. The only problem with that would be Yuko's daughters. They were sneaky little girls who would probably spread the news to everyone else. So if he told her, he'd have to do when they were alone. 

As suspected, Mari wasn't very happy about this news. "Tell me you didn't actually talk to the human."

"I couldn't. I was only watching him." Yuuri said. "I'm not sure what I would say to him if we spoke." 

"Good. That's all you should be doing if you get near them. After what happened to me, I wouldn't want you to run into them. I don't know what they could do to you." She pointed to the scars on her body. "You don't want this, Yuuri. No human is worth this pain." 

Mari had the same manatee shape that the rest of his family had but part of her tail had been injured by a human boat years ago. She had been swimming close by when that boat got too close to her and the propellers nearly cut through her tail. If it weren't for the healers, Mari probably would have lost her tail and died. As a result, she now had marks on her tail and she was careful around humans. She didn't trust anyone that had a boat and steered clear of them. She didn't want to come across a human anymore and couldn't understand why Yuuri and Phichit were fascinated with them.

"They're noisy and dangerous." She told them, showing off the injuries on her tail. "They could kill you and they wouldn't feel any remorse. You see how careless they get."

"That's true but they also make great things like this!" Phichit held out a spoon. "What do you think this does?"

"I don't know and I don't want to know. It's probably something that humans use to hurt each other."

Phichit touched the edge of the spoon. "It doesn't feel like something that could hurt people." He tapped it against his hand. "No, it doesn't hurt at all. It looks like it scoops things up." He tested this out with some sand. "I was right! It scoops things up!"

"I'm happy for you." Mari rolled her eyes. "Seriously though, if you see those humans with their boats or other contraptions, steer clear of them. I still have trouble moving around because of what happened."

It was true. Mari could swim but her swimming wasn't as smooth as other merfolk. She was a lot slower as well and she blamed that on the humans. They put a fear in her that hadn't been there before. The last thing she wanted was for her younger brother and his friends to start chasing after humans.

"He's different, Mari." Yuuri pointed out. "He seems so gentle."

"They all seem gentle at first. Then you'll get to see what they are like on the inside." Mari sighed. "I suppose it's a good thing he didn't hurt Vicchan. There's no harm in watching them. Just don't bother them."

"I won't. In fact, I had no intention of doing anything to that human. Vicchan just got away from me. Next time, I'll keep a tighter hold on him."

"Sounds good." Then Mari changed the subject. "So what does the human look like?"

"Hmm?"

"Yeah, you didn't tell me what he looks like!" Phichit chimed in. "How tall is he? What color eyes does he have? Where did he come from?"

"I...I don't know any of that." Yuuri shook his head. "He has really nice hair though. It's the color of the moon."

"So he's old?" Mari was skeptical. "The only thing more dangerous than young humans is old humans. They're the ones who think they know everything when they don't."

"Actually, he doesn't look old to me. His face is really young from what I can tell. I don't think he's like those humans who hurt you. All he did was swim around the ruins. I don't know what he was looking for but I hope he finds it."

"Those ruins do have a lot of cool things like this!" Phichit held out the spoon. "Oh, if you do get a chance to talk to him, can you ask him what this does? Please introduce me to him!"

"I haven't introduced myself to him yet. Give me time."

"Just watch what you're doing, okay? Don't let that human find you." Mari warned him. "They belong on the land. You belong here."

Everyone was saying the same thing; Yuuri belonged in the ocean and the human did not. Yuuri had to be careful around humans. Yuuri shouldn't have expected much out of the human. Everything they said was smart and it made sense. Humans and merfolk were on two different sides. Even if he did manage to talk to this human, what would happen next? He couldn't follow the human onto the land. He couldn't walk with his tail. He didn't know what he would do on land. At the same time, the human couldn't stay down here. He had lungs, not gills, to breathe. He couldn't do much in the ocean except swim and he knew humans could get tired. They needed to surface to get air. 

When he went down to Phichit's cavern, he was fascinated by everything his friend had found. People threw a lot of junk in the water and most of it was useless now. Phichit liked to show off his collection to anyone who came in. He even had human books that contained their language in it. Unfortunately, no one could read what was in the book so they had no idea what was being said. He also had a pair of glasses that he had given Yuuri to wear.

"It's supposed to help you with your vision." He explained. "You should be able to see clearly now." 

These glasses were not that helpful. Instead of seeing clearly, he couldn't see very much at all. "Everything is dark, Phichit. I don't think this will help me at all."

"I see humans wear this all the time. Go up to shore now and then and you'll see so many of them put these things on their faces. Obviously, they aren't complaining about the darkness."

"In any case, this is not helping me." He took the glasses off. "I have to keep looking for something better. These won't do."

"Well, I'm sure something will fall in here. Maybe you can ask that human about this."

Yuuri paled. "I don't know. I'm too scared to approach him. How can I ask him what any of these human things do?"

"You'll find a way. Just work up your courage and approach him. Treat him like he's a merman." Phichit suggested. "It's going to be fine, Yuuri. If he's truly harmless, he won't do anything to you."

Phichit had a ton of confidence but Yuuri was not feeling the same way. Collecting human junk from the ground was one thing. Approaching humans was something else. He didn't mind spending time in the cavern and admiring everything that humans made. Once he moved out of it, it was something else. The fear came back. He remembered Mari's accident and he didn't want to see another human again. Then again, he also wanted to see this human. His mind felt like it had one hundred things running through it. He didn't know how to feel anymore.

"Oh Vicchan, what am I going to do?" He wondered as they swam back to the ruins. "Mari is right. Everyone's right. I need to forget about him and just leave him alone. Maybe we're not going to run into him anymore."

Yuuri's hopes of that were soon dashed. The closer he got to the ruins, the more humans he saw lurking around. Quickly, he hid behind the rocks and kept Vicchan close to him. He didn't want a group of humans to find him. He peered from around the corner and saw the humans digging through everything. This was not a good time to try and talk to them.

 _What do they want?_ He wondered. _What's so great about those ruins that they have to keep coming back? I see nothing but broken pieces left and right._

In the corner of his eye, he saw that same human and held Vicchan a little tighter. He was a slight bit disappointed that the human wasn't alone. This time, he felt like getting closer and having a better look. He wouldn't try to talk but he wanted to follow him around and see what he was doing. It didn't seem like these humans were trying to cause any harm to the ocean. Fish were swimming by them but they didn't seem to notice. They were too busy doing whatever work they did.

"It's too bad." He murmured, looking down at Vicchan. "I wanted to see him again but I didn't think these other humans would be around. I wonder what they're looking for anyway."

Vicchan puffed up in reply. This was what he did whenever he wasn't sure about something. He almost floated away but Yuuri pulled him down in the last minute.

"No, don't go!" He scolded him. "Last time, we dealt with one human! Now we have a lot of them. Those other humans may not be as friendly. Let's wait, okay? Let's wait and see if the others leave." 

He watched as the human moved away from the all others and went to the corner of the ruins. This was the perfect moment. This was the time where he could swim up to him and get a better look. Keeping his puffer fish close to him, he waited until the other humans had moved away. Then he made his move and began to swim slowly towards his human. He was careful not make a sound that would distract anyone. Vicchan tagged right by his side, puffing up and floating about. So far, everything was good. The human was digging away at the wooden pieces that were stuck in the sand. 

_What is he looking for? There isn't very much out here._ Yuuri wondered, now only a foot behind the human. If he wanted to, he could reach out and touch his shoulder. A part of him was curious to see how a human felt. He wanted to touch that hair more than anything. He wanted to feel it through his fingers. He wanted to tug on it and see how the human reacted. Then also wanted to touch the human's face and see what he would do. 

_No no, don't do that!_ He scolded himself. _How would you like it if someone touched your tail without telling you?! He wants to be left alone. Just keep your eye on him but that's it._

It was hard to stay away because they were close. If he stretched his fingers far enough, the tip of his middle finger would poke the human in the back of the head. The temptation was heavy and he found himself reaching out. 

_What am I doing?! This isn't right at all!_ He pulled his hand back as the human straightened and looked at something in his hand. It was a spoon similar to the one Phichit had in his collection. The difference was that the handle of the spoon was broken off. Yuuri was practically over the human's shoulder now, staring that the spoon and hoping he didn't cast a huge shadow on him. Vicchan was still floating nearby and eager to play again. They were so close that Yuuri couldn't help it. 

He reached out and gently poked the human in the back of the head. The human's hair was so silky under the water and he wanted to get his fingers tangled in it. However, it was bad timing because the human straightened up and looked to his left. It was obvious that he had felt something and needed to figure out what it was.

 _Oh no, why did I do that?!_ Yuuri began to hate himself. _Why couldn't I keep my hands to myself? If he discovers me, then I'm ruined! I'll have to explain everything! I'll have to apologize and tell him what I am! Then he'll tell everyone else about me and I'll be disgraced! No one will ever forgive me!_

 

Vicchan sensed his master's fear and immediately rushed over to the human's side. He realized that he had to distract the human in order for Yuuri to go into hiding. It was a great plan because he began puffing up and floating around. The human was distracted and Yuuri swam off to hide behind nearest bits of coral and seaweed. It was dark enough for him to hide himself and keep a good eye on everything.

The human turned around but he didn't see anything but Vicchan playing about. Yuuri was relieved and thankful for that moment.

 _Good boy, Vicchan. You saved me._ He thought as he rested behind the seaweed. Fish were swimming by him but the most beautiful sight was the human. _He is so gentle with Vicchan. I know humans aren't our friends but maybe they're not all that bad. Maybe there are good humans out there._

Then he remembered Mari's warnings. He remembered Mari's accident and how frightened all the merfolk were. He saw all that blood in the ocean and had no idea if his sister was going to be okay. No one knew if she would live after those propellers had cut through her. They were all grateful that all she got from that incident were those horrible scars. They were happy that she could still swim even if she was slower than before. 

_No, this human isn't like the humans who hurt Mari. He's different._ He told himself. _I don't see boats nearby. Anyone who plays with Vicchan like this wouldn't hurt a mermaid. He wouldn't hurt anyone out there._

This time, he let Vicchan play a little longer and kept a good watch on them. He wanted to get that courage to face this human and speak to him. He wanted to ask what was in these human books and what half of the things in Phichit's collection did. However, he couldn't work up the nerve. Getting close enough to touch the back of the human's head was bad enough. 

_His hair does feel really nice though._ He told himself. _Maybe one day, I might be able to face him. I can ask him all the questions I have. Right now, I'll just let Vicchan have some fun. They're enjoying each other's company._

And one day, he knew he would also be able to join in the fun. 

~ ~ ~

Victor had only been here for a few days and he was already exhausted. So far, he hadn't made a whole lot of of progress but he felt good. All those utensils, broken china, and random bits that were buried in the ruins would be worth some money. However, he hadn't found that one thing he really wanted. There was supposed to be a lot of gold and jewels buried in those ruins. He had been digging away at that area with his team but they had all come up empty. He was starting to wonder if there was anything at all.

"Don't lose heart." Mila told him. "What you have found is worth a lot as it is. There's so much buried out there. You'll get what you're looking for."

"I know." Victor sighed as he stared out at the sea. It was so calm and inviting now. He wanted to go down but he was also very tired. "But still..."

She knew that look. "Uh-oh, what is it?"

"What is what?"

"You found something down there." She realized. "It's not what you wanted but it's something that you didn't expect. It's bothering you."

"I, uh..." He touched the back of his head and remembered that feeling. No one else had been around him yet it felt like someone was poking him. "It's nothing."

"Are you sure?" She eyed him. "You have never been very good at lying, you know. I can see right through you. What did you run into?"

"I don't even know." He admitted. "I thought I felt something down there but it was nothing. I must have imagined it."

Mila decided not to press on. Victor would tell her when he was ready to talk about. "Well, I'm still around if you need to ask any questions. It's not like I go anywhere."

"You go to see Sara and her brother once in a while."

"Once in a while." She repeated. "They only live two blocks away. You can easily find me if you need me. I know these beaches like the back of my hand now. If there is anything that is bothering you, you can tell me all the time. I promise I can keep it a secret from Yakov. The last thing you probably want is for him to scream your ears off again." 

He grinned. "Thanks, Mila. As soon as I figure out what it is, I will let you know." 

There was still some time to enjoy the weather so he decided to take his dog out and let her play for a little bit. It would also give him time to reflect on what had happened. He had a funny feeling ever since he came here. The sea wasn't the same. It was inviting, yes, but it felt like there was something else down there. 

Makkachin was as playful as ever and excited to spend more time with her master. She wanted to run out on the beach but he was tired. He let her do as she pleased while he took in the view. In some ways, she did remind him of that little puffer fish that he had run into. It seemed like the same puffer fish he saw earlier. It floated around him as if it wanted to distract him. That funny feeling was coming back. 

Chris admitted he was not the one who had poked him. When they made their way back to shore, Victor told him the whole story. It was odd but Chris knew he couldn't have done it.

"You told me to search the other side and that's where I've been the whole time." He pointed out. "Even if I wanted to, I'm not swimming to the other side just to poke your head. We have a job and I wouldn't distract you from that."

"Then who was it?"

"How should I know? Maybe it was a fish or something that swam by your head."

Victor entertained the thought about this being a fish but it made no sense. A fish wouldn't feel like a finger poking him. He knew what a human hand felt like. At the same time, he believed Chris. He knew he had been alone.

 _Or maybe I'm not alone down there._ He looked over at Makkachin who was digging up the sand. _What is wrong with me? Maybe I need to take a break before I go down there again. I must be getting caught up in my work._

Makkachin came back to him, all covered in sand and dumping some sticks at his feet. He couldn't help himself. Without warning, he pulled Makkachin into a hug and buried his face into her fur. Right now, she was the only one he could talk to and not feel stupid around. Makkachin wouldn't judge him. She would just stay there, listen, and lick his face when she knew he needed some comfort. 

"Am I going crazy, Makkachin?" He asked. "I know I felt something down there. I believe Chris and I know he didn't touch me. It's so strange. I know what a hand feels like but if it's not Chris or the rest of my team, who is it?" 

Makkachin nudged him with wet nose and he went on. "I see this little fish and it reminds me of you. It likes to play with me but I don't think it's a random fish. It seems trained like it is someone's pet. Who would have a pet like that?"

He couldn't think of anyone that had managed to train a puffer fish. He had seen many of them in the past but not like this one. Everything about these past few days just felt so strange to him. Now his mind was on something else. There was a greater treasure out there. There was something else waiting to be found. 

Something, or someone, was out there and he couldn't wait to see what it was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow me on tumblr @ fallsintograce for teasers and updates and all other stuff. I'd love to hear from you!


	4. To Be Where the People Are

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A short chapter but we're getting closer to a formal meeting...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your support. I apologize for how short this chapter is. I just wanted to get it out before I took a bit of a break. I was going to make it longer but this ended up being a better stopping point. Un-betaed but I'll fix things in the morning!

The human didn't show up the next day, which was a good and a bad thing. It was good because now Yuuri and Phichit could explore those human ruins without worrying about anyone bothering them. It was bad because it meant the human wasn't there. Yuuri began to suspect that this might have been his fault for poking the back of his head. The human was probably scared now and didn't want to come back. He didn't dare tell his family about this encounter. The only one he could trust right now was Phichit and that was because Phichit was interested in humans. He heard enough stories about the human and was completely shocked to learn that Yuuri had poked the back of his head.

"I cannot believe you touched a human! I wish I had seen it!" Phichit exclaimed as they made their way down to the ruins. "How did it feel?"

"I didn't touch his skin or anything. I just felt his hair. It was a quick touch." Yuuri explained, watching as Phichit tried to move wooden pieces to the side. It was clear that humans had come down here and moved things around. It didn't seem like they took much because there was still a lot of human junk lying around. "What I did feel was nice. His hair is very soft. Have I told you it's like moonlight?"

"All the time. You tell me that his soft hair is like moonlight always." Phichit murmured. "What did he do after you touched him?"

"He looked around because he definitely felt that. Fortunately, Vicchan was there to save the day. He's definitely made a friend out the human though. They enjoy playing with each other. I'm surprised he remembered Vicchan."

"How could anyone forget him? He's adorable!" Phichit playfully petted Vicchan who was swimming around them. "If he didn't hurt Vicchan or any of the other fish, he can't be evil. Maybe he's looking for something and you can help him find it."

"How? I'm too scared to speak to him. What if he gets scared and swims away from me? What will I do? More importantly, what if he hurts me?"

"If he's kind to Vicchan, I think he'll be kind to you." Phichit decided. "I wonder if he has any friends."

"Well, I did see him come down with a couple of humans before. I think they could be his friends." Yuuri could see where Phichit was headed with this. "No, I'm not getting you involved! I'm too scared to talk to one human! I can't talk to a lot of them!"

"You don't have to do it alone! I'll be with you!" Phichit suggested. "At the very least, will you at least let me get a look at this human? I want to spy on him too!"

"I'm not spying on him!"

"You're hiding behind rocks and watching everything he does. What is that if it's not spying?" 

"I'm...just observing him. I want to make sure he isn't doing anything to the ocean. You know how some humans are. Mari got hurt because of them and they always leave their garbage lying around. I don't want him to be one of those humans."

"Judging from what you've told me, I don't think he's one of those humans." Phichit found a strange statue in the mess of woods and ruin. He held it up and admired it for a second. It was a small figure of a human looking very graceful. However, this human wasn't swimming but dancing on what looked like a piece of ice. "What do you think?! I don't have one of these!"

"What is it?"

"How should I know? That's why I want to ask the human. What is this human doing? Is there any use for this thing?" Phichit turned the figure upside-down and tried to shake. "Hmm, it doesn't seem to have anything inside. Should I break it?"

"No! You'd destroy it!" Yuuri looked at it and stared at the humans feet. He knew about how humans walked on their legs and wore things called shoes. However, the shoes on this figurine were different. They had a tiny blade underneath them. The ice looked very white and blue so he knew it wasn't real. "I bet they just leave it sitting around so people can admire it. It's just like those pictures you found."

"That's right! I have all those pictures of humans!" Phichit nodded, touching the figurine. "You know, I read something about humans like this before. Well, my teacher told me about them. He said that there were humans that could move on ice. No, they could dance on ice! They used these tiny blades to do."

"Dance on ice?" Yuuri repeated. "That sounds impossible."

"You'd think that but it's true. He showed me pictures of humans dancing on ice. Some of them were high in the air like they were flying. I should show you those pictures one day and you'll see what I mean. In the meantime, I'm keeping so we can ask the human about it." Phichit decided. "So what are you going to say?"

"To who?"

"To your human! You touched him, now you have to talk to him! I have a million questions and he has all the answers!"

"Then why don't you talk to him?"

"Because he's your human. Come on, Yuuri. I know you want to do more than just touch him. You want to be his friend." Phichit pointed out. "You want to swim with him and eat kelpsudon and ask him all the questions you have. You can't do that if you don't actually look him in the eye and say something."

Yuuri wanted to argue against this but he couldn't. Phichit had nailed. Yuuri not only wanted to see the human face to face, he did want to talk to him. He wanted to all those things mentioned, especially eating a bowl of kelpsudon. He wondered if it was okay for a human to try it or if it would hurt him. Much like Phichit, he had a million questions about the human world. He wanted to know what it felt like to walk on the sand with legs. He wanted to know how the bottom of feet felt like. He wanted to be able to dance like they did. Minako was helping him learn how to move in the water but he wanted to move on land.

"Is it possible for a merman to become a human?" He suddenly asked, looking down at his tail. "I could explore so much on the land."

"Well, I don't know if it's possible. If you became a human, where would you go? What would you do?" Phichit asked, digging up a fork from the sand. He touched the prongs on the end of it. "This isn't very sharp. Are these supposed to be weapons?"

"I don't think something that small is a weapon. They must use it for something else."

"Good point. Okay, this is one other question I have for your human. You know what we should do? We should surface and watch some humans on the sand!" Phichit suggested. "We don't have to get close to them. We can watch them walking around in the distance."

"What if they spot us?"

"I don't think they will find us if we are far away. I've seen a lot of human boats and none of them come in our direction. Come on. If the human doesn't come here, we should go see him."

"What if we go in the wrong direction? Or what if the human isn't outside? We're going to waste our time." 

"Maybe not. If we can't find your human, we're going to find another one out there and maybe they can help us! I want to see what this thing does!" He held up the fork and jabbed it in the air. "No, this is not a very effective weapon. Maybe they use this to comb their hair?" He tried it out and realized it didn't make a good comb. "Or not."

Yuuri thought about the plan and decided that another human might have their answers. If he couldn't find his, he could find someone else. Maybe that human could give him the confidence to talk to his human. 

"Let's do it." He decided.

"Hmm?"

"Let's go watch some humans on the beach. Maybe we'll find someone who can answer all your questions. We'll know what this thing actually does and what to call this." He pointed to the figurine on the ice. "Let's go find a human!"

"Now you're talking! I know you'd see it my way eventually!" Phichit grabbed his arm. 

They wouldn't have to wait too long to find a human. Someone starting calling Yuuri's name from the distance. He turned around to find a cute little merman with a golden and red tail, same color as his hair. 

"Yuuri, I'm so glad I found you! Did you forget that today is Shore Day?! Everyone's already gone!" He exclaimed.

Yuuri blinked. "It is?"

"Oh, he's right! Thanks, Minami! I almost forgot about it!" Phichit nodded. 

Suddenly, it all dawned on Yuuri what was going on. This was Minami, one of the mermen who lived in the area, and he looked up to Yuuri for multiple reasons. He admired Yuuri's manatee-like tail and body shaped, wishing he could swim like him. Normally, Yuuri just brushed all this off but he was interested in Shore Day. It was a new thing that merfolk had come up with. On those days, everyone went up to the shore to just admire the humans walking in the distance and enjoy the warm weather. They came up when most humans would be too far away to interact with. It was a time to eat kelpsudon, swim around, and just have fun with other merfolk. They had to do this while the waters were quiet and empty.

"Come on!" Minami grabbed Yuuri's arm and tried to bring him to the surface. "I made you a bowl of your favorite kelpsudon and it's waiting for you! Your mother was going to make it for you but I insisted on doing it instead! I hope you like it! I made it just the way you prefer!"

The sound of kelpsudon was enough to make Yuuri swim faster. He didn't need a Shore Day to enjoy a bowl of that. Eating it out in the sun sounded even better. As soon as he made it to the surface, he saw that Minami was right. Everyone else was already there and his family was already eating their bowls of kelpsudon. He went over to them as they watched people in the distance. Humans were much easier to deal with when they weren't close by. When they couldn't do harm to the ocean or the inhabitants, it was fine to watch them. 

"It's about time. I knew you couldn't resist some kelpsudon." His mother said as they situated themselves around the rocks. "It's a good day. The humans aren't doing much except walking around." 

"Are you sure they won't see us?" Yuuri asked. 

"Ah, they are too far away to see anything. Unless we make a lot of noise, they won't notice us." His father assured him. 

For now, everything looked peaceful. This Nishigoris were trying to chase their daughters around and keep them from getting too close to anything. Others were just resting on rocks and enjoying the weather. Shore days were some of the best ones. All the merfolk came together just to enjoy each other's company. The lack of humans made them feel safe. Of course, one merman was trying to get attention from people. JJ, one of the very mermen who didn't fear humans, was waving at them and trying to call out.

"Hey, humans! Hi!" He yelled at them. 

"What is he doing?" Mari grumbled as she watched people pass by. "None of them are going to come out here! He's wasting his time. He probably sounds like a dying whale to humans."

Yuuri tried hard not to choke on his kelpsudon. Humans had a completely different language from merfolk and it sounded so strange. They always spoke so fast and he couldn't make out any of it. The few times he got close enough to one, he couldn't figure out their conversation. Humans did everything so quickly like they were always in a hurry. 

"Humans walk funny!" He heard one of the Nishigori's triplets yell out. "Look at that one with four legs! It's so cute! Let's go talk to it!"

"No, girls! Stay away from them!" Yuuko tried to pull them back. "Humans may look friendly but a lot of them are very dangerous! You must never try to approach them!"

"Why not, Mama? They don't look all that bad!"

"Don't be fooled by them. They are not our friends."

Yuuri wanted to ask her why she would say that but then he remembered those human nets and hooks that were found around the fish and other creatures. He heard plenty of horror stories from Leo and Guang-Hong about what humans were doing. They had done their best to save everything they could. A lot of times, they were successful but they also found many fish and creatures that died from human creations. The more he heard about this, the more scared he became of people. 

_I just don't see how they can all be so bad. Maybe some of them are but not the one I've been watching. He decided. I bet if I got closer to him and I was able to talk to him, he wouldn't do anything to me. We could be friends. Then everyone else could meet him and they wouldn't be afraid anymore._

After a few seconds, Phichit poked Yuuri's shoulder and pointed to something standing on the rocks. "I don't believe it! A human made it over here! Come on, let's talk to it!"

"Talk to it?! We're not supposed to be seen by humans!" Yuuri tried to stop him but it was too late. They were swimming away from the rest of the merfolk and getting closer the bigger rocks. "What if they tell other humans about us?!"

"I'm sure humans can keep a secret. We just be polite with it and show it that we mean no harm. I mean, look at the human. Look at that face! Does that look like the face of someone that could hurt you?" 

Yuuri froze when he saw the small human that was standing on four legs. It didn't look like a typical human and was very hairy. It was sniffing around the rocks and had a pink ribbon tied around its neck. Its face was also covered in brown fur and its tongue was hanging out of its mouth. "Are you...are you sure it's a human? It doesn't look much like one. It certainly doesn't look like the ones I see in the ocean."

"It must be. I see humans on two legs and humans on four legs. They treat the four-legged humans like pets though. They're like you and Vicchan. I'm not sure how they determined this but the four-legged ones seem very loyal." Phichit held up the figurine he had found earlier. "Oh, maybe this human can help me figure out what this is!"

"I don't think this is a good idea. We should leave it alone." He watched the furry human coming down the rocks and letting out a barking sound. The human came down to them and stared at the two merman right in front of it. Yuuri froze in place and nudged Phichit for help. "What do we do? It's not leaving!"

Phichit wasn't scared at all. He carefully approached this human and tried to be friendly. "Hello, human! There is nothing to be afraid of. My name is Phichit and I just have a few questions about you." 

The human barked again as if it wanted to yes. Yuuri was still very uncomfortable with the whole thing. "We should leave it alone. I don't think it talks normal human language. Its just making noises."

"Well, it seems to understand me." He held out the figurine. "What is this, human? You know, I feel bad calling you 'human' all the time. What is your name?"

Another bark. They were not getting anywhere with this human. Yuuri tried to pull Phichit away from it. "I think we're going to waste our time talking with this human. We need to talk to a human that walks on two legs, not four. I've seen the four legged ones. They just make lots of noise."

"Still, this human must belong to another human. It must answer to something." Phichit suggested. "Maybe we can try guessing the human's name. If we're right, it will answer to us. Um, let's see...what kind of human names are there?"

"Makkachin!"

The human barked happily and turned around when it heard that name. That's when they saw the name stitched on the ribbon. It was in gold and cursive; Makkachin. Not only did it have a name, it belonged to another human. 

"Makkachin?" Yuuri repeated and watched the human turn again. "Makkachin."

Makkachin let out a happy bark and tried to lick him with a big pink tongue. Someone kept calling the name out and it continued barking. He began to worry when he heard something come from around the rocks.

"Human!" He gasped, grabbing Phichit's arm. "It's another human! We have to get out of here! Come on!"

"We can't leave! I don't have my answers!" 

"We'll get them another time! Just go!" 

The other merfolk had heard the human coming close and began to warn each other. One by one, they dove back down into the water so no one could spot them. Phichit almost went down until he realized he had left the figurine on the rocks. He decided to go after that but Yuuri held him back.

"Forget about it! I'll get it!" He promised. The other human was barking loudly but Yuuri had to save that figurine. The questions could wait. He got his hands on the figurine as another human popped up from behind the rocks. Yuuri froze in place as he saw who it was.

"There you are!" The other human exclaimed as the furry one ran up to him. Yuuri grabbed the figurine while both of them were distracted and tried to slip into the water. Yet something deep down kept him from doing so. The more he looked, the more certain he became of things.

It was the same human he had been spying on for days now. He looked very different on land now that he was different clothes. His voice was not what Yuuri expected to hear but there was something very friendly about him. He was hugging the furry human and giving it a pat on the head. This was the perfect time to try and get his attention yet Yuuri couldn't say a thing. He couldn't move. It was already hard enough to breathe because the human was breathtaking. As pathetic as it sounded, this was a stunning man. His hair looked silky and silver and he had such beautiful blue eyes. They reminded him of the ocean waves. The best part was the human's smile though. It was one of those smiles that was warm and open. The way he laughed as the furry human licked him sounded like music. 

The human said something before pulling away the furry one and that was when Yuuri's eye caught his. At first, he didn't realize what he was staring at. Perhaps he thought Yuuri was another human that was playing the water. He gave him a sweet smile and that was when Yuuri decided to swim away. He began to sink into the water as the human tried to stop him. The human waved his hands to keep him from go away.

"Come back!"

Those were two of the few human words that Yuuri understood but he couldn't stay. He hung around too long and now it was time to go back. He sunk into the water as the human kept yelling "No, come back! Wait!" 

The other human barked loudly but Yuuri was already swimming away from them. He was stupid enough to stay around them for too long. He got too scared to move and too scared to say anything. He almost gave himself away. If he stayed there, he would have to tell him about everyone else. He would have to show the human their home and introduce to him to his parents and friends. While some would be okay with talking to him, others would despise the human. Worst case scenario, they would try to kill the human.

 _I was so stupid! I had my chance to talk to him and I blew it! He cursed himself. Who am I kidding? Even if I could talk to him, we're in two different worlds. I can't be a human and he can't be a merman. There's just no way we could be together...or maybe there is._ He paused for a second. _Of course! I should have thought of this days ago! I hope I can go now to see her! She can help me!_

As he swam away, the idea began to take shape. It wasn't the smartest idea but it was the best one he could think of. One way or another, he was going to get closer to that human and learn more about their world. And maybe one day, they could finally be friends or something more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Please feel free to follow me @fallsintograce on Tumblr! I'd love to hear from you!
> 
> Next chapter of this and the other merman AU may take some time to put up. I've got other things in between but we'll see what happens.


	5. I'm In Love With a Creature From the Sea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The octopus ballet begins. Or rather, Yuuri makes a decision...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Halloween, everyone! I'm supposed to work on "I Need Your Voice" but I got the idea to work on Chapter 5 of this instead. I do promise to get Chapter 5 of "I Need Your Voice" up soon too. I've been watching too many octopus videos so I've added new tags, lol. (FYI, the future Yurio/Otabek scenes are going to be vague on purpose so take them as you want. I think that's the best way to go with those).
> 
> Edit: I tweaked some parts here that I wasn't too happy with earlier. (That's what I get for trying to post too early, oops) You might see a bit more tweaking so things flow better but the main gist of everything is still the same! If there's any other iffy part, let me know and I'll tweak that too.

It was a calm, quiet day when Victor met up with Yuri earlier than morning to see how he was doing. Ever since he had come into town, he didn't get very much time to spend with others. Today was his day off and all he wanted to do was relax. He just wanted to walk around and take in all the sights and sounds without thinking about his work.

That was not going to be possible with Yuri Plisetsky hanging around with. The young man already had a million complaints about Yakov finding a bunch of R-rated magazines in his room.

"They don't even belong to me!" He exclaimed. "Why the hell would I care about something called 'Russian Mamas In Winter', huh? I tell that geezer that the magazine isn't mine but he doesn't believe me!"

Victor just let Yuri complain about everything while he laughed and pretended that he heard every word. He liked the boy just fine but he could be quite a tomcat and easy to anger. Unlike most people who lived here, Yuri was not fond of the ocean. He thought it was noisy and filled with pollution and too many seagulls and people. Victor had tried his hardest to get Yuri to see the beauty beyond all this but to no avail. He needed to try a different approach.

Walking beside them was his beloved poodle, Makkachin. Instead of her usual collar, he had gotten her a nice pink ribbon with her name stitched in gold. Much to Yuri's shock, he also opted not to put her on a leash. He felt that a leash would make her feel like she was a prisoner.

"She's a dog! She can't feel anything!" Yuri pointed to all the other people walking with their dogs. "What if she runs away from you, huh?"

"Oh, Makkachin would never do that. Would you, Makkachin?" Victor leaned down to pet her and feed her some of his ice cream. They had stopped by earlier to get some dessert because it was so hot outside. His dog was panting and whining so he let her try some of it. Makkachin began to lap up the cool ice cream while he scratched her behind her ears. 

"Ugh, gross! What the hell?! You're sharing that with her?!" Yuri wanted to gag. "You're going to get rabies or something, you weirdo!"

Victor laughed. "I'll be fine. I've done this all the time!"

"Yuck! You're going to regret that one day." 

A sound from the distant suddenly took his attention away. He stared at the sea before them but couldn't see anything. As strange as it was, it sounded like someone was saying "Hi, humans!" to them.

"Did you hear something?" He asked.

"Eh, it's probably a dying whale." Yuri shrugged. 

"I don't think so." Victor stared at the blue-green waters in the distance. "I think someone is calling to me. I feel like someone has been watching me all this time. No matter where I go, I think someone is following me around."

"So you think a fish is stalking you?" Yuri snorted. "You've finally lost it. You're just getting older and imagining things."

"I'm not sure..."

Suddenly, Makkachin straightened up and let out a bark. Before Victor could do anything, she began to run away from him. "Makkachin! Come back!"

"I told you!" Yuri snapped. "That's why you needed a leash, you idiot! I told you this could happen!"

Victor ignored him and started running after his dog. Makkachin was a lot faster than he had expected and she was weaving her way through the crowds. "Makkachin, wait! Where are you going?!"

"Hey, where are you going?!" Yuri yelled back.

"I have to get my dog!"

Now Makkachin was headed towards the slippery rocks and his heart was leaping up into his throat. This was a dangerous area and most people were not allowed to come down here. Due to how sharp the rocks were, a simple slip could have anyone falling to their doom. He also knew that the waters below were probably not deep so chances were Makkachin could get hurt. 

"Makkachin! Wait!" He slowly began to make his way down them. She was having a much easier time walking down than he was. From below, he could hear some voices and Makkachin barking happily. She was safe but he needed her to get away from those rocks. If she fell and hurt herself, he had no idea what he would do.

"Makkachin!" He rounded the corner and saw her peering down into the water. She had stopped running and he began to relax. "There you are! Don't do that to me again!"

She turned around and let out a bark as her master got closer. He gave her a hug and slightly scolded her for running away. However, that feeling of being watched had come back. He was so overwhelmed and tired that he almost didn't notice the young man staring back at him. When he finally saw him, he froze in place. What was someone doing swimming down here? It was a dangerous area. More importantly, this young man didn't look like a normal human. He was a little on the pudgy side and was squinting like he needed glasses. However, he was also one of the most beautiful beings Victor ever saw. 

"Hello." Victor greeted him and the young man panicked. It didn't seconds before he dove back down in the water. "No, wait! Come back!"

That was when he noticed the young man wasn't really a man. When he dove in, he saw the thick gray tail. It wasn't a fish's tail but more like a manatees. This couldn't be right. Makkachin nuzzled against Victor's chest while he just stared at the water and hoping that the young manatee man would return.

Did I just imagine that? He wondered, feeling Makkachin's wet nose pressing against his face. That was enough to prove he was awake now. The young man was real. He had been there and now he was deep in the waters.

"Did you see that? A real merman!" He gasped. "Makkachin, can you believe it? They are real! I thought they were just in stories but...oh, I have to find him again!"

Then he realized he had no idea where this mer-manatee could have gone. The ocean was vast and it could probably swim faster than most humans. Perhaps he swam so deep that no human could find him. It would take a while to find him again.

Maybe I need to lure him out. 

Suddenly, he felt something kick him in the back and nearly knock him off the rocks. "There you are! What the hell are you doing here?! You could have been killed!"

"If you kicked me harder, then yes, I could fall to my death." Victor gave him a strained smile. As much as he liked Yuri, there were times he did get on his nerves too. This was not the appropriate time or place to start kicking people. However, he was not going to yell at him.

"You finally found your dog." Yuri noticed, sitting down with him. "Ugh, these rocks are sharp! How can you sit on them?"

Victor ignored the question and came up with another one. "Do you believe in mermaids?"

"That's a weird thing to ask me."

"I know but...maybe there is something out there." He murmured. "It would explain so much. Maybe a mermaid is following me around."

"A mermaid?" Yuri scoffed. "You really can't be serious. You find all of that stuff in stories. There's no such thing in real life."

"Maybe there's no proof but if I were to find some..."

"Yeah, yeah, that sounds great. I'm sure you'll find it one day." Yuri stood up. "Let's out of here. Those waves are too noisy."

Victor didn't want to leave but Yuri was right. The waves seemed to be getting more violent now and it wasn't safe to stay here. He got up and Makkachin away from the rocks with Yuri right behind them. He had a lot of research to do anyway. He knew for a fact that what he saw was a merman. He knew they were real and now he needed to find out more about them. 

Unbeknownst to everyone, someone else was watching them from the distance. The merman wasn't looking at Victor but had his eyes on Yuri. No other human had caught his eye before but this one was interesting. 

Maybe there was something good about humans after all.

~ ~ ~

Yuuri didn't tell anyone else about seeing his human except for Phichit. Most of them knew about the hairy one but that one didn't scare them. It was very harmless. The other human, however, could do worse to them. Not that Yuuri believed this. He could still picture that beautiful human looking at him with shock. Any words he wanted to say to him had vanished. He didn't even know how to talk to a human. All he did was take that figurine and swim away as far as he could. The poor human kept calling after him but Yuuri didn't dare look back. He couldn't go back.

Phichit wasn't happy when he heard about the encounter. "Are you telling me you had a chance to talk to this human and you didn't say a thing?! We could have had the answers to all our questions!"

"I was scared! I didn't know what I could say to him." Yuuri remembered those human's blue eyes staring back at him. "He was so different on land. I wanted to ask him so many things but I froze. I guess I scared him too because he didn't say anything until I left."

"It's settled then. The next time you see this human, on land or sea, I am coming with you." Phichit decided. "Obviously, if I need to do something, I have to do it myself. Maybe this human can help me find something to help your eyesight too. Those dark things I gave you aren't working."

"They're too dark, Phichit. How is anyone supposed to see wearing those things? All the other ones you gave me are more clear but they don't help much either. Some are almost perfect but they aren't right for me." This was true. Yuuri had been trying different glasses that Phichit found for weeks and was still looking for the right pair. He had also broken some of them so that meant trying to find something new. His parents and sister kept wondering why he kept wearing different glasses until he pointed out that they were supposed to help him see better. As of yet, the perfect pair hadn't been found.

"How should I know? That's why we need to find that human and ask him. He might be able to find you something that helps you see better! Then we can figure out what some of this stuff does as well. All right, what should I ask about first? This thing that supposed to do your hair and the figurine?"

"I'm not sure. What if he doesn't have all the answers?"

"Well, he should have some of them. Maybe he has friends who have the answers he doesn't have."

"Maybe he does." Yuuri shrugged. "Anyway, I'm running late. I have a lesson with Minako-sensei."

"Ah, you're still trying to dance like those humans underwater?" 

"Kind of. Maybe if I can't talk to the human, I can impress him with my moves. I'm getting better each day." He thought about the human and decided he needed to learn some more moves. "Anyway, I'll see you later. Minako-sensei's waiting for me."

"See you, Yuuri!"

Minako-sensei's place was completely empty and she was happy to see Yuuri had shown up just a minute later. He made his way in and began to apologize for his tardiness. It didn't matter to her though. She was more than happy to see him.

"Finally! A student that doesn't fear The Octopus Ballet!" She sighed.

"The what?"

"Oh, I've been teaching a few octopuses how to dance. They came to me because they wanted to put on a show. I made the mistake of scheduling their lesson at the same time I scheduled Otabek's first lesson. I had to do them together. Needless to say, it was a disaster. I don't think Otabek wants to dance anymore. How does a merman have a fear of a poor octopus? I asked him that and he said it was because they were more graceful with eight tentacles."

Yuuri tried to figure this out. "Otabek...is afraid...of an octopus? Isn't he aware that he lives in an ocean with them?"

"Silly, isn't it? The only thing that any of us has to fear is humans." She made her way to the other side of the room, moving like one of those humans in the water. She was so graceful, no matter what she was doing. "I can't believe you spoke to some hairy human."

"Um, how did you_"

"I saw you and Phichit talking to it. You're very lucky that the human didn't do anything to you. You're also lucky you got away before the other human showed up."

Yuuri could only force himself to smile. His teacher didn't hate humans but she was very cautious of them. She knew what they were capable of doing and never wanted to get too close to one. The fact that Yuuri and Phichit spoke to one upset her. Even if the human hadn't done anything to them, it was still a very close call. That human could have called other humans and those humans would try to find their home. Then there secret would be out and no one knew what could happen. 

"It could have led to much worse. Thank goodness you were able to escape and that you're all right."

"Why wouldn't I be all right? The human hasn't done anything to me yet. I thought you liked them and you trusted me."

"I do trust you. Maybe one day, I will like this human you keep talking about. That doesn't mean I don't want you to be careful. I'll teach you everything I know but you should still be cautious if you do run into him again. Friendly or not, it never hurts to be on the safe side. Now let's start this lesson."

His teacher had his best interests at heart but Yuuri couldn't agree with her. The human he saw couldn't be harmful. The way he treated the other hairy human proved that he wasn't cruel. He didn't do anything harmful to Yuuri. Clearly, all merfolk weren't bad so why would all humans be bad? There had to be good people out there. Still, he knew he had to be careful no matter what.

Minako was impressed by Yuuri's improvement and only had a few things to tell him during that lesson. She fixed his arms whenever they went limp and showed him the right way to move them. He was starting to feel more graceful and knew this was a good way to talk to the human. He'd get his attention this way and they would ease into a conversation. 

Then again, I don't know what language a human talks. I understood a few words but that's not enough. There's got to be another way to talk to him. There's got to be a way to spend time with him out of the water. 

After an hour, Minako called an end to the lesson. "I think you're doing well but we have to put a stop to it now. The Octopus Ballet is coming back this evening to perfect their moves. Make sure Otabek doesn't see them. He took one look and turned around, quitting dance forever."

"I'm surprised. I didn't think anything scared him. He doesn't react to many things."

"That is true but everyone has a fear. For him, it's an octopus." She shrugged. "Anyway, you should get going. Remember, don't get too close to any humans. It's okay to watch them but that's it. I don't know what I'd do if one of them hurt you."

"I promise to be careful." 

Yuuri left and found himself passing by Otabek. Normally, Otabek had a very unemotional face but something was off today. It looked like he was preoccupied with something. At first, Yuuri thought it might have been an octopus but there was nothing around. This wasn't a look of fear either. It was something else. He looked completely lost as he swam along.

"Are you all right?" Yuuri couldn't help but ask. 

Otabek slowed down when he realized someone was talking to him. The lost look on his face disappeared and was replaced with the usual broody one. "I am fine. I'm just going home."

"Are you sure?"

Yuuri never got his answer because JJ came up from the side, nearly pushed him over, and tried to get his arm around Otabek. "Otabek! I've been looking everywhere for you!"

"Really?" Otabek didn't seem all that surprised. "I've been around."

"Anyway, you want to go up to watch some humans? Isabella and I were planning on doing that. Since it's getting darker on land, none of them are going to see us. It's the best time."

"Maybe another night." Otabek pulled away from him. His face was red but he tried to hide it by looking to the side. "I have to go home."

He didn't wait around for any answers. He swam away like he was embarrassed, leaving both Yuuri and JJ confused. No one had ever seen Otabek so flustered before. It couldn't be an octopus since they usually didn't hang around this part of the ocean. 

"What's going on with him? He normally likes going up to see humans at night." JJ said.

"I don't know." Yuuri couldn't figure any of this out but JJ had given him a good idea. "I guess I'll see you around."

"Hey, you're leaving me too?!"

"I have to go home as well! Bye!"

"Come on! I don't want to go up there alone!"

"Sorry! Maybe another time!"

Yuuri swam away but he wasn't planning to go home yet. There was someone else he had to see first. He had been told never to go there but this was the only way he could get some answers. He had heard rumors before of mermaids getting legs and humans being turned into merfolk. This was done so they could be with their loved ones. It wasn't unusual for a mermaid to fall in love with a human. Having a crush was fine. However, going beyond that was harder. Most of them had to use other measures in order to be with the one they loved.

 _But I don't even know if I love this human. I'm intrigued by him but I haven't been able to speak to him. What if we don't get along?_ Yuuri thought as he broke through the water and looked over at the shore. JJ was right about the night time having less humans out there. However, there was a tiny bit of hope that his human was probably walking around too. It was a nice night for a human to be out and enjoy the scenery. More than anything, he wanted to be able to walk too. He wanted to know how sand felt between his toes. He wanted to be able to run and dance on legs. It would be wonderful to be free.

At the same time, becoming human also meant leaving his family and friends behind. It would mean leaving his home behind and trying to get used to the land. What if he didn't end up liking it? What if most humans were unkind? Was this type of thing worth losing everything he knew? He did feel something when that human looked at him. If he was a human for a few days, they could get to know each other. 

_Or maybe if I had a chance to talk his language, we could get a connection. A few days of being able to speak his language would help._ He realized. Then he made up his mind. He was going to talk to this human and there was one mermaid who could help him with that.

He needed to see the sea witch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow me on tumblr @ [fallsintograce](http://fallsintograce.tumblr.com) . I'll update stuff about fics and other stuff in general. 
> 
> By the way, I have another new fic up, "Snowflake Through the Looking Glass", a phantom thief/soulmate AU. I'll probably slow down with updates on this soon so I can catch up with my other WIPS but hopefully not for too long.


	6. Here We Are Again Under the Same Sky

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A tiny calm before the storm...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is kind of a filler one, I admit. I do apologize for that because it was originally going to be a separate work for YOI fantasy week. However, I found that it fit this chapter better. I swear that by the next chapter, we'll get to the next important part! I needed a little calm before the storm. Un-betaed at the moment but I will fix any errors I come across. It might take some time for the next chapter but I promise it won't take too long!

Victor had a funny feeling every time he went close to the beach. That feeling got stronger when he went further into the water. It wasn't a dangerous feeling but it was something he couldn't explain. The more he went into it, the stronger it got. He thought it had to be that beautiful creature he had seen earlier. He hadn't seen it again but he knew that this was real. What he felt and saw was not something in a dream. It was right in front of him and he wanted to go after it. 

The beautiful creature would have to wait though. Today was his day off so he wanted to spend that time just walking around the beach and catching up with people in town. He knew many of the townsfolk but hadn't had a chance to say hi to them. Chris was going to go off to another part of town with a friend and Mila had visitors coming to the lighthouse. He thought about going to see Georgi but that wasn't going to happen. Georgi had people coming over to get readings done. The only person who was free today was Yuri. He was done with skating practice early and had nothing better to do. At Victor's request, he decided to join him. He was acting like he had no choice but everyone knew better. Yuri wanted to hang out with him. He was secretly glad to see Victor and have someone to visit the town with. He just didn't want to admit it. 

"Don't get that excited, old man. I'm only going with you so you don't get lost out here." Yuri grumbled as they were walking around town. "I'm also bored. There's nothing out here on the beach. I don't know why you keep coming back here."

"I disagree. There's always something new in this town. You just have to look in the right places."

"Yeah, well, you actually like the ocean. I don't know why. It's so big and dirty and full of all kinds of crap. You've seen every damn sea creature out there. What else could you be looking for? If it's some hidden treasure, you won't find it here."

"It's not." Victor murmured, looking over at one of the souvenir shops in the corner. "I think I'm missing something. I don't know what it is." 

That feeling he had when he was in the ocean hadn't left him. It was a feeling of being watched but he didn't feel like he was in danger. Whoever was looking after him seemed like they were shy. Maybe they wanted to get closer but couldn't. Still, he couldn't figure out who it was. It couldn't be any of his friends since he got that feeling when he was alone. Then there was that little puffer fish that randomly showed up. He was a precious little thing but he couldn't be the stalker. There had to be someone else.

He walked over to the shop and pushed open the door. It wasn't the only souvenir shop in this town but it was one he felt comfortable in. The prices were reasonable and they always sold all kinds of things. Not only that, he knew the owners, Michele and Sara Crispino. He hadn't spoken to them in some time so now he had to remedy that. 

"Hi! Is anyone in here?" He called out into the store. 

"Victor!" Sara exclaimed when she saw him, running over to give him a hug. "I thought I recognized your voice! It's so good to see you!" 

"Sara!" Her brother snapped when he saw that. "What have I said about touching customers like that?!"

"Oh, Mickey! He's not just any regular customer! Victor doesn't come here all the time." Sara pointed out. Then she gave their guests an apologetic look. "Forgive him. He's just very tired from working for the last three days. We've both been busy with work. People are coming here all the time even after closing time."

"I'm sorry to hear that. It must be that time of year then."

"It is. Sometimes, I don't get home until after midnight. We're opened until eleven at night but cleaning up the store takes time. Today's the first day in a while that things have been slow. You're my first customers! Is there anything in particular you'd like?"

"I'm just looking around. It's the first time I've had a break as well." 

The Crispino twins worked in the little tourist trap area and sold tons of souvenirs to people who came to visit. Sara was a nice girl that hung out with Mila a lot and was very friendly to everyone she came across. She had no qualms in helping anyone find attractions or the best restaurants at or the fun things to do in town. Her twin brother, Michele, wasn't quite as friendly. He usually kept those violet eyes on anyone who entered the store. He wouldn't stop giving visitors the evil eye if one dared look at his sister. He especially didn't trust any of them even if he had known them for years. Right now, he was pretending to ignore Victor and Yuri and focus on his work. Secretly, he was watching their every move.

"How have you been?" Sara asked. "I know you came here days ago but I haven't had a chance to see you yet. Find anything interesting?"

"Ah, not yet. I'm hoping that will change." Victor looked over at all the little mermaid and merman figurines that were on sale. "Are those new?"

"Oh, yes! These are made by artists from nearby towns. They seem to be a popular item over here. We usually sell out of them before the week is over. Everyone really seems to be crazy about the mermaids."

"I don't see why. They look pretty creepy." Yuri muttered, staring at a mermaid that had a tail like a manatee. "This one is a little weird. It doesn't look like the others."

"Ah, that's because one of the artist has been making different kinds of mermaids with different tails. That one is a mer-manatee. I've got some that have tentacles and others that have shells like crabs. They look strange but they are also very popular with tourists. I've been asked a lot of times if I've actually seen any of them."

"Well...have you?" Victor wanted to know.

"I'm afraid not. These days, I am so busy at the shop that I haven't gone to the beaches. I do hear a lot of stories from other people though." She admitted. "So many people claim they saw or heard mermaids out there. Unfortunately, none of them have proof so I think they probably saw a fish or something of that sort."

"A fish." Yuri repeated. "Go figure. There's nothing cool out here." 

"I wouldn't say that. You just have to look in the right places." Sara pointed out, looking at the front door as more customers came in. "Ah, I've got company. If you need anything, let me or Mickey know. It's good to see you again!" 

Sara went off to help the other people but Victor just stared at the mermaid figurines. In particular, he looked at the one with the manatee body. Now he was sure that he hadn't imagined that beautiful creature that day. The mer-manatee was real. Not only that, all these other mer-creatures had to be real. Maybe all these stories that people were spreading around were true. 

Now that he knew this, he had to find that mer-manatee again. He looked so cute and confused when he was staring back at Victor with those brown eyes. The poor thing looked like it wanted to say something but either didn't know how to or was afraid. He had probably been frightened by Makkachin who had been barking at him. She just couldn't understand why this creature in the water was not playing with her. Then again, the mer-manatee probably had no idea what a dog was. He probably thought it was some dangerous animal that wanted to hurt him. 

Well, when I see him again, I'll have to tell him that Makkachin isn't a monster. If I can see him again...

"Are you coming tonight?" Sara suddenly interrupted his thoughts.

Victor turned away from the figurines and looked at her, much to Mickey's dismay. Before Mickey could say anything, he asked. "What's happening tonight?"

"Bonfire at the beach. I was hoping you could come. It's not a big event, just a few of us. We're just hanging around it. Since you have tonight off, maybe you can join us."

A night on the beach around a bonfire sounded divine. If he was lucky, maybe that mer-manatee or one of his friends would show up. He could find out more about their world and actually get to speak to them. He could introduce them to Makkachin and Yuri and all his other friends. It sounded like a lot to do but he was anxious to see that mer-manatee once more. 

"I'd love to come." He finally said. "I don't have much to do tonight."

"Great! I'll see you tonight at seven then!" 

She turned back around to help some more customers while Yuri looked over at the figurines on the shelf. Unlike Victor, he didn't find them all that interesting. "You really don't think these things exist, do you?"

"Why not? There's so much out there that I haven't seen yet. They could exist out there."

"Sure. You keep telling yourself that."

Victor ignored him and stared at that mer-manatee figurine. It didn't look exactly like the one he saw but it didn't matter. He was glad to know that he wasn't going crazy. These creatures existed out there and he had seen one. Maybe later, he would buy this figurine. He wanted to see the real thing first. 

It was just a matter time before they saw each other again. 

~ ~ ~

It was a quiet night in the ocean and Yuuri had wanted to go see the sea witch. He had made a plan to head down there without telling anyone. He was actually on the way, thinking about what he was going to ask her. He had a million thoughts in his mind and couldn't figure out how to phrase his request. The one thing he was certain about was that he wanted to be where the people were. He didn't care what it cost; he wanted to know about those humans for at least a day. 

However, there was light out in the distance on the shore that was distracting him. When he poked his head out of the water and found his favorite place on the rocks, he decided to see what that was. He forgot all about his plans when he saw that a group of humans were nearby. Once he got on his favorite rock, he got a better look and found the one person he was hoping to see. There was that human treasure hunter in that group. He could recognized that silver hair anywhere. He also saw that small hairy human he had run into earlier. It was easier to watch them from a distance. He felt safe on the rocks as he watched them running around. 

_What a beautiful human._ He thought as he stared at the silver-haired one. _He moves so gracefully on land and in water. It's hard to believe that he's a man._

He wanted to yell out to him but lost his nerve every single time. He managed to close to the human and he could touch him when they were in the water. Yet it wasn't enough. How was he supposed to learn anything about the human world if he couldn't talk to one? He needed a plan to get closer. He needed to be brave. This was what he wanted. 

Suddenly, someone covered his hands and he began to panic. If it weren't for the fact that he recognized the laugh, he would have started screaming. He pulled away and turned the group that had just shown up. All of his friends were around tonight. They had also seen the lights and were curious as what humans were up to. 

"Guess who's here?!" JJ greeted him.

"Oh, it's just you." He began to calm down when he recognized all those faces. Still, his hopes of approaching humans were dashed. He wanted to do this while he was alone. "Why are you here?"

"We're bored." Phichit shrugged. "I went looking around for human things to add to my collection and I didn't find anything worthwhile. That's why I went to see you and your mother said you were right around. I figured you'd be out here instead."

"So what are you looking at?" JJ peered over Yuuri's shoulder and saw what it was. "Oh, no wonder you haven't left this spot! You've got a good people watching spot!"

"Keep it down!" Leo tried to quiet JJ. "If those humans see us..."

"They won't see us. They're too far away." Seung-Gil murmured. "Even a human with perfect sight would not be able to see. However, they might hear us if we are loud enough. We should keep to ourselves."

Everyone else looked at what Yuuri was looking at. No wonder he was entranced by the scene because it looked so peaceful yet fun. There were humans out on the shore today, sitting and standing around a giant bonfire. It looked like all them were having so much fun as they talked and laughed among themselves. Only one of the humans wasn't having a good time. He was a small, blond haired human who didn't seem to like the ocean very much. Nonetheless, he was standing before it and letting the water wash over his feet. The giant waves came in full force as he was standing by the water and soaked him above the knees. The human then began to say something that didn't sound pleasant.

"What did he say?" Minami asked.

"I don't know but I don't think he's very happy." Yuuri shook his head. "I've seen him around a few times. He rarely goes into the water but I don't think he likes it much. He doesn't seem to smile when he's close to it. I don't even bother trying to get his attention." 

"Oh, let's go say hi to the other humans then!" JJ suggested. "They're all right there! This is the perfect time to talk to them!"

"I don't know if that is a good idea." Otabek looked over at the group. They all seemed to be happy by themselves. The last thing they wanted was some intruders in the form of mermen showing up. "We should probably leave them alone."

"Ah, you're just saying that but I know you really want to talk to one. So is the lucky human?" JJ pressed on. "Out of all of those people, which one do you want as a friend? Come on. Who stands out more than the others?"

"There is no one I want to be friends."

"I disagree. I can see it in your face. You can't hide secrets from me. So who is it that interests you?" 

Otabek refused to answer but Yuuri knew which one he wanted to be friends with. Even this darkness, he could still make out the human he was attracted to. This human was comfortable on land as he was in the water. From the distance, he could hear that human laughing as the blond human kept yelling about something. Evidently, the young human wasn't as threatening to other humans. All he did was scream and everyone else ignored him.

"Isn't he beautiful?" Yuuri murmured.

"The little one? He seems kind of angry and uptight to me." JJ said. "Or are you talking about the hairy one? That one looks like it slobbers too much."

"I don't mean either of them. I'm talking about the silver-haired one. The hairy one belongs to him, I think." Yuuri looked over at them and hummed to himself. "I keep wanting to talk to him but I can't. I don't know how to approach him."

"Well, talk to him like you talk to me." Phichit suggested. "You have no problems talking to other merfolk. Think of him as a merman with human legs."

"Then that doesn't make him a merman. It makes him a human." Seung-Gil replied, looking at the group around the bonfire. "I'm still trying to figure out why you find them interesting. Just because they walk on land doesn't make them very special."

"They do make amazing things though! I really want to ask them what each thing does. Maybe I can ask that human next to Yuuri's human. He seems friendly enough. Of course, I don't get to see him as much as Yuuri gets to see his human."

"He's not my human! I don't even know his name!"

"Well, if you actually spoke to him, you would find out. Do you want me to call out to him?"

"Um, that's not_"

"Oh, I'll do it!" JJ suggested, trying to wave to the humans. "Hey, you! Human that Yuuri likes! Look at us over here! Yuuri wants to know your name!"

"What are you doing?!" Yuuri hissed. "Don't call out to him!"

"Why not? You want to know more about him, don't you?" 

"I do but not like this. We don't want to scare them." Yuuri looked over at the group on the shore. Maybe JJ had the right idea. Maybe he needed to get the human's attention by calling out to him. However, simply yelling at him would just scare him off. Already, he could see that the humans had stood still and were looking around like they were terrified. Even though was trying to be friendly, they probably thought they were being stalked.

"I'll calm them down with a song." He decided. "That usually works, doesn't it? At the very least, it'll work on the hairy human."

"Hairy human?" Seung-Gil looked over at the group and realized who Yuuri was talking about. "That's not a human. That's what they call a dog. It's a pet for humans."

"A pet?"

"Yes, it doesn't talk like a human does. It just follows a human around and is a companion. It's just like how all of us have pets. I thought you already knew this. They've told us about human pets before. They're not quite as dangerous as humans but we shouldn't get close to them either."

That explained everything then. It explained why this dog didn't say anything when they approached it. It couldn't talk to them because it wasn't a human. It couldn't tell them anything they wanted to know. If Yuuri wanted to get close to a human, he had to talk to a human. Not a dog. His eyes went from that dog to the human and he began to hum to himself. At first, it was a soft hum but then it got louder.

"Yuuri?" Phichit looked over at his friend. "Who are you_"

He didn't need to finish because he knew who Yuuri was humming to. While his friend wasn't the best singer, he did have a nice voice. It would be more than enough to entrance any human. Although he never sang to anyone before, he felt like doing it now. He positioned himself on the rocks so he could get a better view. He could see all those humans but it was too dark for any of them to see him. The crashing waves would also make it hard for them to try and go after him. It was okay to sing now. 

"Keep your voice low." He heard Guang-Hong say.

It was too late though. Yuuri's voice was getting louder only because he wanted the human to hear him. He wanted to get attention and to entrance that human. This song in particular was one that could calm down anyone. The more he sang, the more the humans started to calm down. They no longer seemed to be afraid of anything. Even that dog stopped running around and ended up lying down on the sand. They had stopped talking and were now trying to figure out where that sweet sound was coming from.

"I think he's looking at your direction." Phichit whispered. "What do you want to do?"

Yuuri stopped singing and thought about that. As much as he wanted to go out to the shore, he couldn't. Once he got on the sand, he couldn't walk around as he had no legs. He was bound to the sea. He couldn't be a part of the human world like this. However, there were ways around that. He had heard of stories about merfolk who had gotten a chance to be human for a day. The more he thought about that human and his blue eyes, the more eager he was to be with him. 

"We'll see." Yuuri murmured, thinking about his plan to see the sea witch. He failed to go to see her today but maybe tomorrow, he could make a deal. A day as a human wouldn't hurt him. He would find out everything he wanted to know. He would be able to walk and talk and do things as a human would. 

He would be with that human soon. 

~ ~ ~

On the shore, Victor had stopped paying attention to everything that the others were talking about. The first part of the evening was fun with Makkachin chasing Yuri around and Yuri getting wet from standing in the water. It did serve him right for complaining how small the waves were. As soon as he went further, the waves got higher and soaked him up to his waist. Now he was pissed and Mila was amused by all this, teasing him all night. 

Victor had joined in the teasing as well but stopped when he heard something. It wasn't just the waves crashing on the beach. It was something sweet and angelic. He couldn't understand any of the words but the sound was nice. It was almost entrancing and he felt like going after it. The problem was that the sound was coming from the ocean. He couldn't see what was making it. Earlier, there were some other strange sounds but he ignored them. This one couldn't be ignored. This song was calling to him. Was it a siren? No, it didn't seem like it. The song was trying to calm him down. His entire body and mind felt as ease as he listened to it. He was under a spell.

"Victor! Oi, Victor!"

He broke out of that spell when he felt Yurio kick him in the back and Makkachin jump up on him. Suddenly, he remembered where he was and the singing stopped. All of a sudden, he felt some sadness. He was enjoying the song and wanted to find out where it was coming from. Something inside was telling him that either the mer-manatee or another merman was singing tonight. It would explain why he felt like he was entranced. It was a calm feeling that he was drowning in. 

He talked with the others for a little longer but he couldn't remember what they had talked about. The light by the fire was warm and he was still being drawn to the ocean. The more he thought about it, the more he wanted to dive into those waters again. Someone was calling to him. The real treasure wasn't in those ruins. It was something more. 

Tomorrow, he was going to find his mer-manatee.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lemme know what you think! And feel free to follow me/bug me on tumblr @ [fallsintograce](http://fallsintograce.tumblr.com). 
> 
> Next chapter...conflict! Finally!


	7. If You Love Him, You Will Follow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The plot moves...and thickens

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I said I was going on hiatus but this next chapter needed to get written out. Fortunately, I finished my Big Bang On Ice fic as well so I got some free time to work on fics again. I will not reveal what it is about yet but I will say it is different from most YOI fics. So now I got this one written out. Yes, we have an OC antagonist because I couldn't turn anyone evil. Not even my beloved emo evil witch Georgi (who is human in this and a fortune teller). 
> 
> Anyway, the plot's moving forward now! Hooray! Expect to see more of everyone in the next few chapters.
> 
> And I promise that after this, I will update my other fics after Thanksgiving :) . I needed to get this out first.

Nirene, the sea witch, lived in the deepest and darkest part of the ocean. No merman or mermaid dared to venture down there unless they wanted something. Rumors had it that she was evil and manipulative yet very powerful. She could make anyone's greatest wish come true. She had cast a million spells and promised to help others in any way she could. Yuuri had been told never to go after her since his parents didn't trust her. A lot of merfolk claimed that her spells didn't give them the desired results. However, they usually asked for something impossible and she did the best she could. It wasn't her fault that things didn't turn out the way they planned.

While Yuuri was still apprehensive about this, he knew he didn't have many other choices. If anyone could give him his greatest desire, it was her. Minako was helpful but she couldn't turn him into a human. Nirene had that power. She had the ability to give a merman legs and let him run across the land. She could do anything and as of now, she was his greatest hope.

Her lair was so dark that he didn't know if he was in the right place at first. It was surrounded by rocks and seaweed. No merman would ever venture down here if he didn't have a reason. The darkness was overwhelming and Yuuri found himself bumping into things as he came down here. He didn't feel comfortable and wished that he had brought someone else around. He had even left Vicchan behind. His family was looking after his pet while he went to 'do an errand'. They didn't ask him what it was as they trusted him. 

"Hello?" He called into the lair. "Is anyone around?"

"Keep your voice down! I can hear you!" A voice in the corner replied. "I must let you know that I normally don't accept visitors. You have to let me know well ahead of time that you are coming here."

She finally came out of the shadows, her long blue tail shimmering in the dull light. Up close, she didn't look so frightening. Her hair was bright red like flames and her eyes were the bright green color of seaweed. They were also glowing, which made him feel a little strange inside. She was so hypnotic with her voice. Somehow, she had a way of getting him to listen to every word she said. If there was a mermaid out there for anyone to fear, it was her. 

"Well, now, what do you want?" She asked, swimming around him. "I don't have a lot of time to waste, Yuuri. You can see that I am a very busy woman."

"You know my name?"

"I know everyone. I know all the names of every creature that lives in this sea. I can see it all and I know what they are up to." She whispered. "I think I know what you want as well. I just need to hear you say it." 

"I know you are very busy but I was wondering if it's possible for...I don't know...a merman to become a human for a day?"

She looked at him, knowing right away what this was about. "Who is the lucky human?"

"Um, what makes you think I'm after a human?"

"My dear child, I have seen merman such as yourself come here because they were in love with a human. They've always asked me for the same thing; is there a potion to turn a merman or mermaid into a human? What they don't realize is that this process is a long one. It doesn't happen right away. To become human, you would have to give up so much. Once you leave this ocean, you cannot come back to it. You may never be able to see your family and friends again. You are stuck on the land."

"Oh." Yuuri looked down. He hadn't thought about his family and friends. "I didn't realize it was_"

"Yes, it's not a choice a lot of merfolk like. They tend to go with the other option; turning the human into a merman or mermaid."

"You can do that?"

"I can do anything, my sweet child! That option is much easier in fact. If the human is like those humans that swim around in the ocean, they can adjust to fins very quickly. It's a lot better than a merman trying to walk on human legs. Humans are easier to change and put under a spell than a merman is."

Yuuri thought about the other option. On one hand, it would be nice if the human could become a merman. They would be able to go everywhere under the ocean, eat kelpsudon, and just have fun with each other. The human would be able to breathe and speak in the water. They could dance and swim and be together forever. He knew the human would make a gorgeous merman just based on what he had seen. 

Then there was the other side that wasn't as pleasant. The human was a human who had a family and friends on the land. Getting adjusted to the ocean would also take time. What if the human didn't want to be a merman? What if he hated it? 

"If I turned him into a merman, that means he couldn't go back to the land." He realized. "He would miss his family and friends over there."

"That's right. So you have to ask yourself; is it worth it? How well do you know this human?"

"Not very well. In fact, I haven't been able to speak to him. I've only seen him a few times in the ocean and on land."

"Oh, dear. I think I know which human you're talking about. I've seen him as well. Silver-hair, beautiful skin, friendly to all the sea creatures?"

"Yes, that's him! I've been watching him for a while now and I want to talk to him but I can't. Every time I get close enough, I get scared and I swim away. We've seen each other eye to eye but that's it. He tried to call after me but I was too frightened to reply. I didn't know what he would do after that." 

He looked embarrassed as he thought about their last meeting. He had a perfect opportunity to talk but didn't use it. He just stared at that beautiful human who clearly wanted to know more. He wanted to talk and find out about Yuuri. Instead, Yuuri swam away like a coward.

"I cannot blame you. He is quite handsome, isn't he? It's hard to believe a human that beautiful exists on the land. Still, you have to get to know him first. If he isn't willing to be with you, there's no point in casting the spell, is there?"

"I guess not. So what should I do? Should I just give up?"

"No, no, don't do that. You clearly want to know this human so I'm giving you a week to do that. The next time you see this human, whether it be the land or sea, approach him. Do not send anyone else to do it. Go up to him and say hello. See how he reacts. Obviously, he didn't run away the last time you saw him. He wants to know you too." 

Nirene thought for a second about the perfect plan. This mer-manatee was very gullible and trusting. She could tell him anything and get what she wanted. "All right, I'll give you a month. Got that? One week. You use that month wisely. I have no doubt in my mind that the human will return. He's seen you once. He will want to see you again. It is up to you to approach him and learn everything you can about him. If you feel like he is the perfect mate for you, I will turn him into a merman immediately. If he rejects you, he remains a human and you remain as you are."

Yuuri gulped. "Okay, let's say we do become friends but he doesn't want to be a merman. What happens then? Can you turn me into a human instead?"

"Yuuri, Yuuri, my sweet Yuuri, you didn't hear me the first time around. The merman to human process is harder. It takes longer. It requires far more work from me. Even still, if that were the case, do you really think you could stay as friends? Could you really be friends with a human on the land? Don't you see how many problems this could lead to? Your best bet is for him to become a merman willingly. I will cast the spell now but you have to do most of the work. That's the best way this spell can work. If the human begins to trust you, if he likes you, he will turn into a merman."

Yuuri was still unsure about this plan. The last thing he wanted was to turn a human into a merman. Why would any human want to be bound to the ocean? "I don't know how he'll feel if I tell him about this plan."

"That's the beauty of the plan! You don't tell him!" Nirene clapped her hands. "If you do, then the plan will fall apart. The spell won't work!"

"You want me to...deceive him? I don't know if I can keep that a secret. This is something that will affect the rest of his life." Yuuri pointed out. "I can't surprise him like this. I'm afraid of how he'll react once he learns the truth. I'd be taking him away from a life that he knows."

"Ah, yes, that's difficult. He loses a lot but you will have your human. If you don't go through with the spell, he walks away from your life forever. So what will it be?"

Yuuri knew something was off. He couldn't understand why it was hard to turn a merman to a human but not the opposite. The sea witch was purposely hiding something from him. She was not telling him the real consequences behind casting this spell. At the same time, she also made a good point. For Yuuri to be with the human, he had to know more about the human. He had to make contact with him and find out things.

"You have to make a decision soon. I am a busy woman. Rest assured, you're not the only merman who has come to me for magic spells. Otabek was here earlier asking for my help and I need to get started on fixing his issues."

"He was? What did he want?" This was unusual since Otabek usually kept to himself. He was the last one to come see a sea witch for anything. 

"I'm afraid that bit is confidential. What he does is his business. Now you have to tell me; do you want me to start the spell?"

"Would you be able to stop it if things didn't turn out well?"

"Yes, but you will have to tell me as quickly as possible." She warned him. "Once the spell is started, it will take time to stop it. The sooner you tell me, the quicker I can stop it. One other thing I need to know; does he have any close companions?" 

"Um, I see him with other humans but I don't know how close he is to them. I do remember he has a hairy human...oh no, it's a dog!" Yuuri remembered the fluffy brown dog that was on the rocks. It was so friendly and cute like Vicchan. "It's a pet. I think he's very fond of the dog."

"I know what a dog is, dear. Now I do need a few things from you so the spell can be completed. I need you to get me some of the human's hair. I need at least three strands of it."

"Three strands of human hair? I'm not sure I can do that_"

"You want this spell to work, don't you? I'm not asking much, just three tiny strands. I also need three drops of blood from him."

"What?! I can't hurt him! Then he'll never want to talk to me!"

"Calm down, Yuuri! I'm not asking you to hurt him but I will need those three drops of blood and those three strands of hair for the spell to work. The third thing I need is three strands of fur from that dog. The spell calls for three strands of hair from his closest companion and it sounds like that dog is the closest companion. And the final thing I need...well, you'll find out when you get me the first three things. That last bit will be required close to the end of the month." 

"You're sure this will work?"

"My dear, I've made miracles happen before. If this is what your heart truly desires, you will get everything you asked for. A month will be long enough to make sure you know what you want. It will give you time to get all that I asked. You have to make sure this is what you want. The only way to know that is to talk to that human."

"I understand." Yuuri nodded. "I'll see what I can do. You can go ahead and start the potion."

"Ah, before I do, you have to sign a contract. I don't give these things away for free, you know." She went over to the corner and pulled out a scroll. "All you need to do is sign on the dotted line and we can get started." 

Yuuri tried to read the scroll but she kept pushing the quill in his hand. "Ah, you don't need to worry about semantics, dear! This is just the complicated things that are required in a spell. You wouldn't be able to understand it. I just need a signature. You don't have to waste your time reading all those paragraphs."

Even if he wanted to, he couldn't read the paragraphs. They all blurred together and he could barely make out half the words. The line for his signature was clear though. He had no choice but to trust her. Taking the quill, he put his name down on the line. Nirene watched as he wrote, her eyes getting wider with excitement.

"Splendid! Now remember what I told you to bring; three strands of his hair, three drops of his human blood, and three strands of that dog's hair. The last bit will be required in the very end. You have a month! Use that time wisely and you will have that human to keep for the rest of your life."

Yuuri was still unsure about what he had signed away. It would have been a better idea to bring someone along. They could at least read the important parts of the contract and tell him if it was a good idea to sign it. At the same time, he didn't want anyone else to know about this. Chances were high they would try to talk him out of it. No matter how much Phichit liked human things, he probably didn't want his friend to turn into a human. He also wouldn't like the idea of casting a spell to turn a human into a merman without them knowing. Then again, Otabek had also gone to her and he wasn't the kind to trust anyone easily. Otabek was the last merman in the world who would have gone to a sea witch so this had to be something big.

Something is very wrong about this. I shouldn't have signed that contract. He realized. She was very convincing though. I didn't see anything wrong with what she said. At the moment, she's the only one who knows what to do.

"Yuuri! Yuuri!"

Yuuri turned around to find Minami swimming up to him. He wasn't sure what that little merman was so excited about whenever he was around. He tried to calm down as Minami swam around him.

"Uh, what is it?"

"Your mother is looking for you! She made you kelpsudon and was wondering where you were. You're never late for dinner. Why did you come over here?"

"Oh, okay." He calmed down. For a second, he thought Minami had followed him and learned everything that was going on. It made sense that his mother sent Minami. She always did that anytime Yuuri wandered away for too long. "I'll be there soon. I just needed to...take care of something. Don't worry about me."

"Are you sure? You look worried. Is there anything I can do?"

"I'm fine. Really." He promised. "I'll be right behind you."

"Well, all right. If you need something, you know you can tell me. I'll help you with anything." 

As Minami swam in front of him, Yuuri began to wonder about his decision. How was he going to get anything done in a month? He couldn't just ask a human for all these things. He had to be discrete about getting them. If they human didn't notice, things would go fine. First thing he had to do was introduce himself to the human. He could do it. He would just treat the human like he would treat a merman. He could talk to a merman easily. A human would be no problem.

A month would run out faster than he realized. As soon as he saw that human, he would talk to him. He would get that courage and all their greatest desires would come true. The only thing that could ruin it was if he failed.

He had no idea what could happen then. 

~ ~ ~

Chris noticed that Victor's mind was in the clouds again. They were out walking that morning yet his friend wasn't listening to a word being said. It didn't even feel like he cared about anything around him. Ever since he apparently met a merman, he was acting odd. He seemed drawn to the ocean more than ever now. He was losing interest in conversations and looked like he was walking around in a daze. It was as though someone had put a spell under him.

The other thing that had him feeling strange was a song he had heard. It didn't make sense but it was very entrancing. Someone out there had been beckoning him to come closer. He never got to see who sang that song and he needed to find out. 

"You're acting very strange and I hate that." He told him. "You don't look at me anymore when you talk to me. What is going on?"

"Nothing." Victor murmured in a dreamlike voice. "I just...I have to see him again."

"Are you sure you saw a merman?"

"Yes!" Then Victor turned around and smirked. "Are you jealous, Chris?"

"Please! Why would I be jealous of a fish?"

"He's not a fish! He's a...mer-mantee."

"There's no such thing!"

"There is! I saw him! Makkachin saw him! Why won't you believe me?" Victor sighed. "You're still mad about what happened to us, aren't you? That's why you don't trust me anymore."

"Victor, it has nothing to do with that. If I was really mad at you, we wouldn't be friends or partners, would we? I'm just worried about you. Ever since that moment, you can't seem to think of anything else." Chris got serious at the moment. "As your friend and former lover, I'm scared you're going to run into danger."

Victor understood what he was getting at. The two of them had been together until recently. Work got in the way and the love died. They realized they worked far better as friends than they did as lovers. They had broken up on good terms yet some of those old feelings were still in the air. Chris still cared about Victor and he only wanted what was best for his friend. At the same time, he did not believe that this mer-manatee was real.

"Why haven't you gone after it then?" Chris asked. "I thought you would chase after it as soon as you saw it."

"I wanted to but I was scared. I froze."

"You are scared of a manatee? This coming from the man who swum with sharks and sea snakes? I'm surprised at you."

"It's different. When I saw him, I wanted to say more. I wanted to keep him right there but he swam away. I should have gone after him but I didn't know where to go. What if he swam so fast and far that I couldn't keep up?" He sighed. "I should have gone after him."

"Well, maybe you'll find something new down there. If there's one mer-manatee, there have to be others, right? Georgi said your luck with love would turn around soon."

Victor laughed when he thought about that. Earlier that day, they had gone to see Georgi and get their future read. Georgi had gone into telling fortunes in various ways from reading palms to tarot cards. When the two of them went to see him, he had many visions at that moment but the biggest one was of Victor's true love.

"It is on the horizon." He told him. "Your love is out there, Victor. It is a love you haven't met yet. That love lives deep inside and will be unlike any other love you've had before."

"Well, that rules me out." Chris muttered. "You hear that, Victor? You have a true love unlike any other."

"Hold on! I see something else for you too! You also have a true love out there!" Georgi exclaimed. "You will search deep and find them as well! Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow but soon. Love is on your side!"

"I'll believe it when I see it."

It was fun but neither one believed what Georgi had to say. This was all done in fun. If true love did exist, they would just have to find it on their own. They couldn't predict the future. Even still, Victor wondered if there was some truth to those predictions. As they walked around, he thought about the mer-manatee and where he had last seen him. Those rocks were probably his best bet. It looked like a place where mermaids would hang out. Makkachin also seemed to be drawn to that area. Whenever they went to the beach, she would run ahead and try to go there. She had done this so many times that Victor finally had to put a leash on her. 

Today, she was trotting along beside him when she started barking towards the rocks. Then she was running towards them while he tried to hold on. "Makkachin, slow down! I can't run as fast!"

"Hey, where are you going?!" Chris demanded.

"I don't know!" 

Makkachin refused to slow down, no matter how many times Victor tried to get her to do so. She heading towards the rocks like she was also under a spell. Then he heard it again. The song was back. Those same notes were drawing him closer to the water. Was he after a merman or a siren? Whatever it was, it had his attention. Makkachin was slowing down now that she was at the rocks. The singing continued but she barked and looked around.

"Oh, Makkachin! I told you not to run away!" Victor scolded her, looking down at the rocks. He suddenly realized why Makkachin had slowed down and why she was making her way careful towards the water. There was a merman propped up on the rocks and singing. No, it wasn't any ordinary merman. It was the mer-manatee.

"It's you." He whispered, slowly making his way down. This time, the mer-manatee wasn't swimming away. He wanted Victor come to him. Song or not, Victor was already climbing down with Makkachin leading the way. He felt breathless as he stared at that creature. That dark hair, brown eyes, manatee shaped body...he was beautiful.

The creature stopped singing long enough to look at Makkachin. "Hello, dog."

Makkachin gave him a happy bark in reply and then the mer-manatee turned to Victor who was still staring. He didn't know what to say but the beautiful creature did. 

"Hello, human."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lemme know what you think and feel free to follow me on tumblr @ fallsintograce.


	8. I Guess I'm An Underwater Thing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They make progress! Or not... :(

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was brought to you by watching an endless amount of manatee videos on Youtube. I've seen far too many videos of manatees eating lettuce, rolling, and farting in the water (somehow, I need to throw in a farty Yuuri in this fic). It was a good way to waste time and provided too much inspiration. 
> 
> Another belated birthday present for Yuuri and a thank you for everyone who is following along. My next stop is to update my other merman AU soon.

It was a good thing no one else was around at this moment. Victor didn't know how other people would react but he was stunned. He wanted to reply back and ask all the questions that he had. He had seen manatees before but a mer-manatee was brand new. This adorable chubby creature with brown eyes and a cute face was too much to handle. Victor was at a loss for words but he tried to stay calm. Makkachin, on the other hand, was far more excited by the sight. She could barely stay still as she sniffed around the mer-manatee. Fortunately, the mer-manatee didn't swim away this time. 

"Hello, human." The mer-manatee repeated again, expecting a response.

"Ah, hello." Victor waved at him. "How are you?"

The mer-manatee just nodded so he realized that the creature probably didn't understand that. Victor decided to try another approach. "My name is Victor and this is my dog, Makkachin. What is your name?"

Again, he got no response but a smile. The mer-manatee probably understood a little bit but not enough to reply back. However, he probably didn't see Victor as a threat so that was good. He was still here. He still seemed friendly. He hadn't do anything yet even though Victor was a few inches from him. He had every opportunity to attack but he didn't. Instead, he stayed in place. 

"Do you speak English? Or even Russian?" He asked.

The mer-manatee blushed. "Very little."

This was just what he had feared. The mer-manatee would not be able to talk much with him so he needed a new way to communicate. He could probably teach the mer-manatee to speak but first he needed to earn his trust. It was easy to do that with fish, sharks, and all other creatures in the water. A mer-manatee was completely new to him.

Carefully, he reached out to touch him but pulled his hand back. He knew that it was illegal to reach out and touch a manatee but if the manatee approached him, it was alright. However, this was a mer-manatee. Did the same laws apply to mer-manatees? Did anyone besides him and Makkachin know that they existed? The poor creature spoke such limited English that communicating with him would be hard. He didn't want to appear like a threat.

Then he had an idea. Manatees were vegetarians and he had seen plenty of them eating lettuce and cabbages in animal sanctuaries. Perhaps he could give this manatee a little gift. There was a small grocery store down the street that always had fresh produce. It was also sheer luck that their lettuce was on sale today. If he could buy a head or two, maybe it would be enough to convince this mer-manatee to be friends.

Holding up his hands, he tried to make him stay. "Stay!" Makkachin sat down on the rocks. "No, Makkachin, not you! I mean..." He looked at the mer-manatee. "I don't know what to call you. I should give you a name!"

The mer-manatee looked at him, confused about all of this. Unfortunately, Victor's mind was drawing a blank for the perfect name. Instead, he just motioned the mer-manatee to stay in place. "Wait for me. I'll be back! Makkachin, you stay right here!"

Makkachin did as she was told while he went off to get at least two heads of lettuce. That had to be a good present for the creature. He ran fast and was breathless by the time he was in the store. There was a ton of leafy lettuce and cabbages right in front of him. He got two heads of lettuce and a head of cabbage for good measure. However, running back with these three things wasn't as easy. He had forgotten how heavy two heads of lettuce and a head of cabbage could be in one bag. It was a stupid thing to tell the clerk to put it all in one bag, especially a plastic bag. It looked ready to break but he needed to get to those rocks before that mer-manatee disappeared.

I have so much to ask him but how can I do that? I've never seen anything like him before. Everything I know about mermaids came from stories. I don't know what a real one is like.

As he was running, he almost ran into Chris. His friend tried to hold him still. "Whoa, Victor! Where are you going in a hurry?! And..." He looked at the bags. "Why are you holding lettuce?"

"Actually, it's two heads of lettuce and one head of cabbage." Victor corrected him, tightening his grip on the bag. "They have a sale back there!"

"Yeah, I'm aware of that. I'm just wondering why you are buying them. You're not the biggest fan of lettuce or cabbage."

"I...they are for a friend!" Victor laughed. "They asked me to get this for them!"

"They couldn't do it themselves?"

"No. They're sick." It wasn't the best lie but it would work. "I have to go, Chris. I'll see you soon!"

He started to run off but then had an idea. Maybe now was the time to introduce the mer-mantee to some other humans. Chris was trustworthy. He wouldn't be the kind of person to run around and tell others about what he had seen. Victor needed at least one other person to see that he wasn't crazy.

"Actually, I need you to come with me." He decided. "There's something I want you to see. Well, it's someone I want you to meet."

"Someone, huh? Is it a special someone?"

"Well, you have to see him to believe it. I left Makkachin down there to keep an eye on him. I hope he doesn't swim away."

"So this 'someone' is not a person?"

"Not entirely?" Victor didn't want to reveal what the mer-manatee was right now. This was one of those moments where seeing was believing. "Just trust me, Chris! You'll know what I mean when you see him!"

Chris wasn't sure about any of this but he agreed to follow Victor. Whoever this person or thing was, he hoped that they could treat Victor well. It hadn't been long after their breakup but he did wish that his friend found happiness. As of late, he seemed very uninspired and lost. He loved the ocean but he wasn't excited by it anymore. There were a million treasures out there but he wasn't interested in them. He wanted more. He wanted his spark back.

Judging from how excited he was, Chris could tell that a little bit of that spark had returned. From the way he ran and the way he talked, this person or thing was big. It was the first thing in a long time that truly made Victor act like Victor. He was running as fast as he could while he carried the lettuce and cabbage. This wasn't exactly what one would give as a gift but stranger things had happened.

Once again, they made their way down to the rocks where Makkachin was waiting. However, the only one who was there was Makkachin. All they both saw now was a trail of bubbles leading away from them.

"He left!" Victor nearly dropped the lettuce and cabbage. "I told him not to go!"

"Who left?" Chris wanted to know.

"The...um..." Victor still had no name for his mer-manatee. "Oh, it's no use. Makkachin was supposed to watch him!"

Makkachin barked happily while Chris tried to make sense of all this. "All right, you told your dog to keep an eye on someone."

"Yes?"

Chris shook his head. "I don't believe you. You really thought Makkachin would make a good guard dog?! Remember what happened with those steamed buns? You told her not to eat them and she ended getting one caught in her throat. She's not the best at following orders."

Makkachin whimpered and Victor bent down to pet her. "She tried her best! Don't listen to him, Makkachin! You know I forgive you after what happened with the buns."

He looked down at the water and wondered why the mer-manatee didn't stay. Did someone else come along and he had to swim away? It would make sense that he would need to hide. That led Victor to one solution. If the mer-manatee didn't want to stay here, he would have to chase after it. Then he could give his present.

"All right, we'll go see him!" He decided. "Then I can give this to him!"

"You're giving your friend lettuce and cabbage? What kind of a gift is that?"

"One that he will really like! Trust me, Chris! He is so beautiful...I know he'll want these. And you're going to help me find him!"

"What?! No!"

"Yes! I can't do this alone! I need someone else to see him and I trust you. I know he will trust you too. Please help me." Victor gave him that look that was hard to resist. Those big blue eyes framed with his long lashes and that cupid bow shaped mouth could make anyone melt. Chris had a hard time saying no when Victor looked at him that way. At the same time, he didn't want to go in the water to chase whatever this was.

"All right, I can compromise with you. You can go in the water but I'll wait for you on the side. Then when you find them, take a photo or bring them to me. Does that sound fair?"

Victor pouted but accepted these terms. "If I bring him to you, promise me you won't scare him."

"What makes you think I'll scare him? I've never done that with anyone else."

"He's different. He doesn't trust people easily...at least, I don't think he does."

"So you don't really know who he is? You have no idea about him? Oh, this will be fun. Do you even know his name?"

"Uh...no. I was trying to give him one but I couldn't come up with anything."

Chris was struggling to understand any of this. "Is this even a human?"

"Not completely. That's why you have to see him to believe me! I can't really explain it but I promise it will make sense when you see him!" 

Chris wanted to say more but it was too late to change Victor's mind. Whoever or whatever this thing was, it was big. It was something neither of them had dealt with before. It wasn't any treasure or artifact they were after but something extraordinary. It was something that could change everything they had ever known. 

He just hoped they weren't leading themselves straight into danger. 

~ ~ ~ 

Yuuri felt guilty about leaving when the human had told him to stay. Victor had only been gone for ten minutes and Makkachin was trying to play with him. However, he remembered he had a lesson with Minako-sensei and he was running late for it. So he told Makkachin that he had to go and to let Victor know that he would be back in a few hours. Now he had some doubts about this. What if Makkachin forgot? Then Victor would think that Yuuri didn't like him and had run away again. 

_I couldn't help it though. I am already late for my lesson. He'll understand the next time I see him._ He decided.

Of course, this meeting didn't lead to much. He knew Victor's name but Victor didn't know his. He could understand a lot of what Victor was staying but replying was a lot harder. How was he supposed to get three human hairs and three drops of human blood this way? He wasn't even able to get Makkachin to stay still long enough to get her hair. How was any of this supposed to work? It was a good thing he had a month to pull this off. 

"Yuuri! Yuuri, where have you been?!" Phichit called after him. "You're not going to believe what I came across!"

"I can't listen right now. I'm already late for my lesson!"

"I saw a human with your human!" Phichit blurted out. "They were walking together! Your human has friends!"

"My human also has a name too. It's Victor." 

"Wait, you found out his name?"

"Well, he told me. I went to see him and he_"

"You went to see the human and you didn't tell me?!"

"I had to see him on my own. It's important." Yuuri didn't want to spend the next few minutes explaining all this. Minako-sensei was not going to be happy with his tardiness. "I wasn't able to talk much. I still need to learn a human language. I only knew a little bit but I could understand most of what he was trying to say. Then he left for some reason. He wanted me to stay but I couldn't. I hope he isn't mad at me."

"If you explain why you left, he'll probably understand." Phichit decided. "Now the friend...he's quite handsome too. He has a very nice human rear end."

"Phichit!"

"It's true! It was very nice and round...it's not like your human's rear. Your human has an okay rear."

"An okay rear?"

"It's missing something, okay? Now Victor's friend has a rear end that can be_" 

"I get it! I really do have to leave though. But can I meet you later? I need your help in learning how to speak the human language. I know you have a bunch of books. Maybe I could try to learn from them."

"Yuuri, you don't know how to read."

"I could learn. You learned a little bit, didn't you?"

"It took a while but yes, I did learn how to read. I guess I can teach you too. From that, you can learn how to talk with humans. You know a few words but you have to have a conversation with them. I've got plenty of books for that."

"You are great! Now I have to hurry! The next time I see Victor, I'll bring you along!"

"Tell him to bring his friend with the nice human rear too!" 

As it turned, Yuuri wasn't just late for his lesson. He almost barged in on a lesson with The Octopus Ballet as well. Minako-sensei wasn't the only one who gave him the look when he showed up, apologizing for his tardiness. He could feel all the eyes in the room on him as he groveled. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I lost track of time! I meant to come here sooner and..."

"Yuuri, I'm in the middle of a lesson with the students who did come in on time. You will have to come back tomorrow."

"Can't I wait for a few hours? Maybe come back later?"

"I'm sorry, Yuuri. I'm fully booked tonight. I do have a spot opened in the morning tomorrow but you will have to come on time. The Octopus Ballet still needs to rehearse. They have a recital coming up next week and we have a lot of work to do."

In the corner, an octopus was giving Yuuri an evil look. There was no point in trying to interrupt this lesson. He did promise his teacher to come back first thing tomorrow morning. This time, he would not miss out on anything. Minako accepted the apology and promised she would be waiting for him. 

"I know you aren't the kind of student who shows up late to my studio. If it weren't for the upcoming recital, I could have squeezed you but..."

"It's okay, Minako-sensei. It was my fault for being late." He reminded her. Then another question came to mind. if anyone could help him make a smart decision, it was his teacher. "One more question before I go; if a human wanted to be a merman and he got his wish, would you be all right with that? Would you allow a human into our world?"

Minako was surprised to hear this. "That's not something I've thought much about. What brought this on?"

"I was curious. I've heard about stories about merpeople turning humans but not the other way around. If a human became a merman, would that be okay?"

"It would all depend on the human. If this is what they want, then that's up to them. I just hope the human would realize that they could never return to the land. They can never see their families or friends again. They are bound to the ocean. So if a human wanted to be a merman, they would have to sacrifice a lot."

"I see." Yuuri murmured. "So you can't just turn one into a merman."

"Definitely not. You'd have to see if they wanted this in the first place. Anyway, why are you interested in turning a human into a merman?"

"Nothing! I just wanted to know. Thanks, Minako-sensei! I'll see you tomorrow!" 

Her answer was just as he had expected. She wasn't completely against it but she wasn't for it either. She also was right about the fact that the human was going to give up everything. He would have to leave it all behind just to be a part of the ocean. Was that something he truly wanted? He was now starting to regret what he had done.

 _I should have taken Phichit and let him look at the contract. I should have shown it to someone and get their opinion._ He realized. _What was I thinking?! I don't have the best eyesight. I could have signed anything! Maybe I should go back and see the witch again. She might change the contract so I won't have to do this. How can I get anything from this human? There has to be another way._

He was about to head to the sea witch's lair again when Yuuko called out his name. She appeared to be worried about something and seemed relieved when he turned around. "There you are! I should have come to Minako's place the first time around! I forgot you had a lesson."

"Actually, my lesson was cancelled. I was on my way home."

"That's why I'm here to get you. Don't go home yet. There's a human lurking nearby it! Fortunately, we were able to hide before he saw us. You should go into hiding too. No one's supposed to approach the human or come out until he is gone." She began to lead him away. "Come with me. I know a place where you can be safe."

Yuuri had a good idea of who that human was. Since he had failed to stay in place, Victor had gone after him. Victor was trying to find him again. While Victor wasn't a threat, none of the other merfolk knew that. Mari would be especially angry if she saw Victor interacting with her brother. She was still haunted by the memory of boats leaving scars on her body. He had to get to Victor before anyone else did.

"Actually, I'll find my own hiding place." He told Yuuko, pulling away from her and heading towards home. "Don't worry about me! Keep yourself and your family safe!"

"Yuuri, you're heading towards the place where the human is!"

"I'll be okay! Take care of yourself!"

He swam away and got closer to see where Victor was. It wasn't until he got towards home that he saw him. There was Victor, looking through each area in hopes of finding something. Yuuri hid behind a rock and watched him. He couldn't see why Phichit had said Victor had an 'okay' rear end for a human. It was round, firm, and very muscular. What kind of rear end did Victor's friend have that made it so spectacular? 

Victor was holding something green in his hand and Yuuri suddenly felt hungry. Food. He had come down here with food. The leafy greens weren't kelpsudon but they were still very good. There was no need to hide anymore. Yuuri popped out of his hiding place and called out to Victor, hoping that he'd hear him.

"Victor! Victor, over here!"

Victor seemed to hear something and looked up. His face seemed to brightened when he saw Yuuri swimming towards him. He waved at him and motioned him to come a little closer, holding out the leafy greens. It was a present. That must have been why Victor had left the first time around. He went to get Yuuri a present. He pushed the head of lettuce towards Yuuri who took it. 

"I...thank you?" He looked confused as he stared at it. Was it rude to start eating it now? The lettuce was big and enough to fill him up. "I...I love it."

He wished he could say more to him. There wasn't much they could do together in the water. Yuuri wanted to introduce him to the rest of his family and friends but they were all hiding now. He had no idea where everyone was or how they would react. Still, he didn't wait too long. Victor was holding out his hand and waiting for Yuuri to hold it. Not thinking about it, Yuuri reached out and held on. Victor's hand was very soft and warm. When he held it, he didn't squeeze too tightly. It felt strange to hold that hand and be so close to him. It was a good feeling.

I wish I could say something to you. Yuuri thought, staring at Victor. In water or on land, he was still very beautiful. I have so much I want to ask you. I want to know everything about you but where do I start? 

Like all things, this didn't last very long. Mari popped up from nearby, hoping to find her brother. She had been asked by her parents to go find him and get him in a safe place. "There you are, Yuuri! I_" She froze as soon as she saw Victor holding Yuuri's hand. "Get away from him, Yuuri! What are you doing?!"

"Mari, it's okay! He didn't hurt me!" Yuuri pulled away from Victor who realized something was wrong. "Nothing's wrong!"

"That's a human, Yuuri! Don't get any closer!"

"Mari, I_"

"Human?" At that point, Minami popped out from his hiding place and saw what was going on. He gasped when he saw the human was only a few inches away from Yuuri and he saw red. "Get away from Yuuri, human! Don't you hurt him!"

"Wait! He's not hurting me! I_"

The explanation was in vain because Minami swam fast towards them. Victor held up his arm to protect himself and Minami sunk his teeth into Victor's right hand. Yuuri gasped when he saw what was going on. "No, don't hurt him! He didn't do anything wrong!"

Minami's bite was enough to draw blood and get Victor to swim away from them. His hand was throbbing as he grabbed it and looked down. He needed to tend to his injury now. The bite was painful and he didn't want that little merman to attack him anymore. He began to swim towards the surface now with Yuuri calling after him.

"No, Victor! Don't go! They didn't mean it! Please come back!"

Mari and Minami held him back, telling him that this was for the best. He didn't need to go after that human. He still kept calling out his name and hoping that he'd come back. It was to no avail. Victor was gone and Yuuri had no idea if he was ever going to see him again. 

~ ~ ~

Victor knew of dangers in the ocean but he was always very careful. He never did anything to bother the creatures that lived down there. He was aware that anything could happen but he never expected this. Things were fine between him and the mer-manatee. He managed to give him that present and hold his hand for just a few seconds. Then the little merman came out of nowhere and bit his hand. It was something he had not been prepared for. Even now, he didn't know how to explain this.

Everyone had their suspicions about this injury. They all felt that he hadn't told them the truth. Even now, as Mila checked out the bandages and Yakov yelled at him, they were sure he was hiding something. The injury looked like something had bitten him so they had check and make sure whatever did this wasn't venomous. 

"Well, it looks cool." Yuri told him once his hand was bandaged up. For his sake, Victor had gone to a doctor get it checked. When popped out the water, the first thing he did was show Chris what happened. He had to lie and tell everyone he was scratched by sharp coral down there. "I didn't know coral could hurt you like that."

"There is nothing impressive about this!" Yakov snapped. "How many times have I told you to be careful, Vitya? You don't know what's down there! You can get hurt! That's why I always ask you to go down there with someone!"

Victor brushed all this off and looked at his hand. He didn't blame the merman for biting him like that. He was probably scared and did what he had to do. However, this did lead to a few good things. He was able to get closer to the merman and give him that head of lettuce. He was able to hold his hand. When they were together, he felt something between them. It was a shame that the moment didn't last longer. Yet he did find out the one thing he wanted to know.

The mer-manatee had a name. He could finally call him something besides 'beautiful creature' or 'the mer-manatee'. 

"Yuuri..." He murmured, looking out the window at the ocean. His mer-manatee was still out there and he had to go back. The doctor had told him to stay away from water for at least a day. The wound would heal because it wasn't deep. He could take off the bandages tomorrow and he would be back in the water in no time.

"What do you want?" Yuri asked.

Victor was confused until he remembered that both of them had the same name. "Oh, I didn't mean you! I meant the other Yuuri!"

"There's another Yuri?"

"Oh, it's Victor's new boyfriend." Chris explained. "I guess now he's found his name. Although it's going be confusing when he's talking about him."

"Maybe we can give them nicknames. Victor's Yuuri can be Yuuri Of the Ocean and Yura can be Yuri On Ice." Mila joked.

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard, hag! Who wants to deal with something or someone called Yuri On Ice?"

Mila laughed and insisted that it was a good name. The tension had loosened up in the room. Victor leaned back in his chair and looked at his hand. At least he had proof that merpeople existed. He wasn't angry about any of this. If anything, it gave him more desire to go down and see Yuuri again. That short moment together was a nice one. Maybe next time, things would be different. Next time, no one would fear him. 

_Don't worry, my Yuuri. I'm not angry at you. If anything, I have a lot more to learn from you. We'll see each other sooner than you think._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lemme know what you think. Scream at me in comments or at tumblr @ fallsintograce!


	9. If I Stay Here, Trouble Will Find Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Communication kind of begins...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy (late) Holidays, everyone! I tried to get this finished yesterday but my mother has come over and we're going to have another guest in our house so writing time is a bit limited. Still, I needed to get this one out for you. It's a bit un-betaed because I wanted to get it up on time. It's a little shorter than what I hoped for but we're moving slowly. 
> 
> This chapter is dedicated to Mary (@artofmarylarson) and multiple fellow sea loving people!

Yuuri was not angry at Minami for what he had done. After all, he was scared that Yuuri was being attacked by a human. He had no idea about Victor and his intentions. At the same time, it was a bit worrisome. Victor had been bleeding when he left the water and Yuuri had been unable to get any drops of blood from him. All he had was the pieces of green food that Victor had offered as a gift. 

His family had been informed of what happened and they were shocked to learn that Yuuri could get so close to a person. Right now, Mari had told their mother what happened and Hiroko was concerned. She wasn't the only one either. A few of the octopuses from The Octopus Ballet had been swimming by and they were glaring at him. Minako just shrugged and apologized to him for their behavior. She wasn't angry with him and promised that she would keep teaching him in secret. She was the one of the few who was being friendly with him. Word about what happened had spread fast and some of the merfolk were in hiding. The last thing they wanted were humans to find out where they lived. Yuuri had apologized to everyone and assured them that nothing would happen. Victor had no idea where they lived. He was not going to tell any human about them. 

"Well, that is good to know but you can never be too sure. That was very close. I don't have any problem with you watching humans in the distance but getting close to them is another story. You never know what they are capable of." His mother told him. "From now on, keep your distance from that human. He could be dangerous."

"But he wasn't dangerous! All he did was offer some food!"

"Again, you don't know where that food came from. I have told you many times not to put human things in your mouth. You don't know if it's good for you."

"What he gave me was no different from what I normally eat. It didn't taste like poison." Yuuri shrugged. "I promise you that Victor isn't like all the other humans. I know he is good. He's very friendly to everyone. I've seen him with other fish and he's always so gentle." 

"Victor? You know the human's name?" Mari asked. 

"I've heard other humans call him that. He seems familiar to them."

"He's familiar to me too. In fact, I'm sure I've heard of him from other merfolk. He roams sea to sea, looking around for human junk and treasure. I've never heard that he was dangerous but I never tried to get close to him either." Mari shrugged. "Maybe you are right, Yuuri. Maybe he is gentle. All the same, you should watch your back. I've seen him on those boats before. The same ones that..." She pointed to the scars on her tail. "Well, I think you get it." 

"He would never do something like that to a mermaid." Yuuri pointed.

"Maybe not on purpose but it happens. All we're saying is that you should be careful. Watch him all you want. That's as far as you should go. Our world is supposed to be a secret from humans. I just hope Victor hasn't told anyone about us."

"He wouldn't. Victor cares about everything in the ocean. He would never hurt us intentionally." Yuuri assured them. "Trust me. I can see it in his eyes. He was only offering his friendship. You have to believe me."

This was not working on them. His mother finally spoke up, knowing that Yuuri wasn't going to stop thinking about this human. "All I'm saying is that you don't get too close. He's a human and he belongs on the land. You belong here. Even if he turns out to be friendly, the friendship won't be able to last long. Just be careful from now on."

It was hopeless to explain a thing but Yuuri did promise to be careful. The next time Victor came around, he would take him to a private area where no one could find them. First, however, he needed to be able to speak with him in his human language. He needed to say more than just a word or two. He needed to be able to understand him and there was only one merman who could help him with that.

He went over to where Phichit was staying in his underwater cavern. "Phichit, I need some help learning the human language! I need to learn to talk to my human, Victor!"

Phichit looked up from the book he was attempting to read. "You have to be more specific, Yuuri. Which human language do you want to learn? They have many of them." 

"Um, what's the language that Victor talks?"

"I...I have never actually spoken to him so I wouldn't know. I just know that Victor has an okay rear end for a human and he seems nice. However..." He had an idea. "Ah, we can try one of the most popular languages out there! A lot of humans out there speak English. Perhaps Victor knows how to speak that as well?" 

"I'll try anything. I just want to be able to say a sentence to him. A long sentence."

"All right, we can do that. What kind of long sentence do you want to tell him?"

"I...don't know. I guess I want to ask him about himself? I want to know more about him. I want to know how he walks on legs and why he keeps coming to the ocean. I want to know what it's like to be a human."

"Well, that's a lot more than one sentence." Phichit thought about it. "How about you ask Victor the same thing I plan to ask the other human?"

"The other human?"

"You know who I'm talking about. He's the human with the really nice rear end. It's far more impressive than Victor's."

"I don't believe you!" Yuuri shook head. "Anyway, what were you going to ask him if see him?"

"How about...tell me about yourself?" Phichit suggested. "That way, Victor can tell you everything out there."

"Will I be able to understand him though?"

"Does it matter? Just pretend that you can. Pretend that he is the most fascinating human you have ever met."

"Well, he is the most fascinating human I ever met. In fact, he is the only human I have ever met. I want to be able to communicate better than I do right now. How can I be friends with a human by just making noise?"

"Then do what I suggested. Say these words to him; tell me about yourself. He will open up to you. In fact, you might find out more than you want to know." Phichit chuckled. "Look, Yuuri. Do you want me to come with you?"

"No, I need to do this on my own. So help me figure this sentence out. I want to practice saying it a few times. I have to be able to understand him and he has to understand me."

For the next hour, Phichit helped him say that one sentence over and over again. He even taught him a few smaller, easier sentences. He learned to ask things like 'how are you?' and 'what are you doing?' as well as things such as 'I like you' and 'I want to know about humans.' The most important thing, however, was saying the following; 'My name is Yuuri'. It was high time Victor knew his name and started calling him that. 

"You know that you aren't the only one who came here to ask me questions about humans." Phichit said as they ended their lesson. "Otabek here a few days ago. Apparently, he's interested in talking to humans too."

"He is? I've been wondering about that. He hasn't told anyone but I think he's interested in a human as well. I asked him but he denied it. He's not very good at lying. I know he keeps trying to go to the surface for a reason. I can't figure out which human he's interested in though." 

"Well, I don't think he's interested in Victor. You're probably the only one who seems bold enough to approach him." Phichit murmured. "Do you know when Victor will show up here again?"

"I hope so. I know Minami bit him but I don't think it'll be enough to keep him away. Victor is strong and brave. I can see it in his eyes. He has the most beautiful blue eyes I've seen on anyone. Actually, everything about him is beautiful. He wear the same things all those other human divers wear but he makes them work. He looks good in his pink suit. And his legs! They are so strong and long!" Yuuri sighed. "I've seen them up close and I don't want to stop looking into them."

"Then go after him. Go back to the place where you first saw him. Maybe he will show up. If not, then maybe one of his friends will show up. You can ask them where he is." Phichit clapped his hands. "Oh, maybe the friend with the really nice rear end will show up! You can ask him where Victor is!"

"I don't know...I want to talk to Victor. He's the only human who's approached me. I've been able to say a few words but now I want to say more. I don't think I can do that with another person. Not yet anyway." 

"All right, I'll come with you. I'll watch from a distance. I don't think Victor will be turned away so easily. He'll back at the same old spot, looking for something in this ocean. Maybe he'll try to go after you again. In any case, I'll be right there. I'll try to get his attention first if you can't."

"Well...okay. You can come along and watch me. Make sure I don't say anything stupid or wrong. I don't want to insult him but I have to talk to him on my own though."

"Of course. I'm just going to watch and help you if you need it." Phichit promised. "Now come on. Let's go to the place where you first saw Victor. Remember those ruins? We should wait for him there. I have a feeling he's going to come back here. He's smart enough to return." 

~ ~ ~

"You're an idiot."

Yuri knew Victor would never listen to anyone's orders. He always did what he felt like and it didn't matter if it hurt him or not. However, that didn't keep others from telling him how they felt. Victor was supposed to stay away from the water while he was healing. So naturally, he planned to do the exact opposite of that. 

"I don't believe you!" Yuri shook his head as Victor waded out in the water. As of now, Yuri was the only one who knew of this secret mission. Victor had left Makkachin with him even though she was whining for her master. For the last few days, she was being left alone on land while he went off in the ocean. She didn't want him to go again but she couldn't do much about it. "What if that thing attacks you again? Or what if it takes off your arm this time?"

"It was a misunderstanding." Victor explained. Makkachin whined again and he waved to her to say that he would be back soon. "The poor creature didn't realize I was a friend. This time, I will make sure he does."

"Oh, please! These are sea creatures! They don't think like we do!" Yuri rubbed his forehead. "I don't get it. I'm a lot younger than you yet I feel smarter than you. Can't you just stay away from the water for once?"

"Ah, Yuri. My poor, sweet Yuri." Victor sighed. "When you reach my age, you will understand how I feel. You will see why this is so important to me."

"God, I hope I'm still smarter than you at your age." Then Yuri got serious. "Really, Victor. You don't know what could be out there. You don't know if they're friendly or not. Today, it bit your hand. Tomorrow, it'll probably kill you. What am I going to tell anyone if it does hurt you?" 

"I had no idea you cared so much about me!"

"Shut up! I'm being serious! You're going too far with this! You got hurt once already!"

"Well, I'm serious too. I have to go." Victor's voice got softer. "There's so much I have to see. This creature...oh, I know I sound crazy but he is so beautiful. I can't describe it."

"Yeah, you told me that already. He's beautiful, gorgeous, and so forth. Do you think he'll still be around? What if he went somewhere else?"

Victor just gave him that annoying cupid bow shaped smile. "Then I'll follow him to every corner of the ocean. I'll find him again. Now do me a favor. If Yakov asks where I am, tell him I went to the little water hole in the corner."

"He's never going to believe me." Yuri gave up trying to convince Victor to stay on land. Not that he was ever going to listen in the first place. He wanted until Victor was ready to dive down before speaking up. "Be careful, okay?! If you die out there, I'll never forgive you!"

Victor laughed. He was used to Yuri acting like he didn't give a damn but secretly did. "Don't worry too much. I'll be back in an hour or two. If anything starts to go wrong, I will come back sooner. I promise." 

"Whatever. I mean it. Don't go too far or deep. Who knows what's out there."

Makkachin barked once more as if begging her owner to come back and stay on the land. She still wanted him to stay here and play with him but Victor's job always came first. Yuri kept her close and tried to keep her company. 

"I don't get your master either." He admitted, gently patting the dog on her head. She was so warm and fluffy, behaving as he scratched behind her ears. He was no dog person but Makkachin was well behaved. "I hope he finds what he's looking for though." 

Victor dove into the water and made his way back to where the ruins were. He had gone to the rocks many times but now he still had a job to do. All he found in those ruins were silverware, pieces of china, and bits of art and wood. As of now, none of it was worth very much. He had gotten too distracted by the mermantee that he forgot why he was here in the first place. None of these treasures would be worth as much as this creature.

_No, I refuse to take the mer-mantee out of his home. He wouldn't be able to survive._ He told himself. _He doesn't belong out in the land. He deserves to be here with the other sea creatures. I'm sure I'll find something worth a lot of money._

He made it to the ruins but was disappointed to see that most of it was gone already. There were bits of wood and metal buried into the sand. They were no different from what he had pulled out earlier. At most, he would probably get a few dollars for them. For a treasure hunter, he didn't have much treasure to show off. It was time to move to another area and find something else. He would swim around here for a few minutes and see if there was anything he had missed. His fingers dug through the sand but found nothing between them. 

The whole time he was working, he felt someone watching him. Turning around, he expected to find the mer-mantee but there was no one. He swam over to the rocks in case the creature was hiding again. He saw nothing. The only creatures swimming around were fish. He didn't even see the adorable little puffer fish from before. He felt alone for once. The fish swimming around him were friendly but they weren't his mer-manatee. 

_Where did he go? Is he scared of me now?_ Victor wondered, thinking about his hand. The bite was not infected and he was healthy as ever. As frightened and hurt he had been, he was fascinated. There was another mer-manatee who looked very much like his mer-manatee. She had those scars on her tail but she looked tough and angry when she came over. Then the little merman who bit him was another creature he wanted to know about. This merman was younger with a colorful orange and yellow tail that almost matched his hair. That tiny little fang that stuck out was something he couldn't forget. 

He looked around the coral reefs but still found nothing. Was his mer-manatee gone forever? He didn't want to believe it. He could still picture the poor thing's face when Victor was attacked. It was so scared and began making a lot of noise towards the other creatures. Then he made noise to call Victor's attention but Victor couldn't go back. He needed to fix his injured hand first. It was still throbbing now despite the bandage being off. However, it wasn't going to keep him from doing his work. He could still dive. He could still search. 

_I hope he doesn't think I'm angry. I know it's not his fault._ He thought, looking down at the sand. Was it possible to track this creature? If so, how could he do it? He tried to remember everything he could about manatees. They were very slow moving creatures, they didn't have blubber, and they couldn't stand the cold very well. Their natural enemy, aside from humans with boats and other water crafts, was the cold. Often times, they would move to areas with warmer water to survive. Was that the same case with a mer-manatee? Had he moved to warmer water? Was his body like a manatee's or a human's? How did a mer-manatee live in these waters? 

_He can't have left yet! The water is still very warm here. He has no reason to move to another area yet._ He realized. What if one of those creatures did something to him? Manatees were very docile creatures but mer-manatees and mermaids could be another story. If that mer-manatee was gone, he was never going to forgive himself. He would have lost his opportunity to find out more about this creature. 

He was so caught up trying to dig through sand that he almost didn't notice the shadow looming over him. As soon as it fell on him, he looked up and saw the figure staring down. It wasn't his mer-manatee but a merman circling around. He felt short of breath at that moment because he expect the merman to attack him. This was a beautiful creature with dark brown skin and a red and golden tail. However, this wasn't his mer-manatee and he wasn't sure if the merman was friendly.

Before he had a chance to do something, the merman motioned to someone else to come over. Victor turned to the side and waited to see what it was. By the rocks, he saw something rising. The merman was making some kind of noise and trying to get something to come over to them. Victor could feel his heart racing at that moment. He saw as his mer-manatee came out of his hiding place and looked at him. The poor thing was still scared and slowly coming towards them.

_So you didn't leave. You're still here._ Victor realized, feeling some relief. He looked over at the merman who was coaxing the mer-manatee to get closer. He realized that the merman was a friend and he could relax. This merman was not going to hurt him. This merman was friends with his mer-manatee and was trying to help them. 

The mer-manatee finally got face to face with Victor, brown eyes wide and determined. Finally, it spoke clearly. Despite the water around them, he was able to understand what the mer-manatee was saying. 

"Hi, Victor. How are you?" He began. "My name is Yuuri. Tell me about yourself?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lemme know what you think! And feel free to follow me on tumblr @ fallsintograce.


	10. Ocean Angel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little more fluff and someone else finds out their secret...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the lateness on this chapter! I've been out of town and I've trying to finish up a few other things before updating this! I meant to get this up last night but I got too tired to update it so it's coming up in the morning! 
> 
> Fun fact: manatees do fart a lot. I ran into way too many videos of this on Youtube XD. I have to thank @artofmarylarson for revealing that to me. 
> 
> (I apologize for lack of a good chapter title. I will come up with one soon)

Yuuri took Victor’s hand and looked down at it. It was healing well but the scar would be around for a little longer. However, Minami’s bite was not deep enough to cause more harm or keep him from the ocean. He wasn’t terrified of Yuuri at all. If anything, he was glad to see his little mer-manatee friend again. He was so adorable and shy but he was trying his hardest to speak now. He was getting better at it just on those few words alone.

Right now, the mer-manatee was looking at Victor’s hand and trying to trace the lines on his palm. He felt how soft and warm that human hand was and compared it to his own. “Pretty.”

Victor blushed as the mer-manatee’s hand went upwards and tried to touch his hair. It also felt very soft and silky through his fingers. He found that spot in the middle of Victor’s head and poked it gently. Victor looked up at him as if to ask, “What did you do that for?” Yuuri could tell that this was a bad thing to do so he stopped.

“Sorry…” He murmured, trying to move away. Victor didn’t want him to go so he reached out and touched one of Yuuri’s flippers. It felt just like a normal manatee’s flipper would as it curved and took hold of Victor’s hand. Now they were holding each other but not in the way he expected. The mer-manatee’s flipper was holding his hand like they were a couple walking down the street. The only thing was that one of them wasn’t human and they were in the ocean. There was no street to walk on either. All they could do was swim.

On the other side, Yuuri was both nervous and excited. Seeing Victor up close reminded him of something called angels. Phichit had a book full of angels which were creatures that were beautiful with halos around their heads and had gorgeous wings. Granted, Victor didn't have a halo but the air bubbles around him looked like one. He also seemed very happy down here and he was glowing. A place called Heaven out there apparently had angels and Victor looked like he had come out that place. His hair like the moonlight and his bright and blue made him look ethereal. It would be hard to hurt someone like this. How could he draw blood from him? How could he do anything to him?

Excited, Yuuri tugged Victor’s hand and tried to take him somewhere else. “Come! Come!”

Victor had to stop him for a second and motion that he needed to take a breath above the water. He wasn’t ready to move forward yet because he wanted to talk to Yuuri in person. He couldn’t do that over here and he had far too many questions to ask. Yuuri seemed to understand so he let go of Victor’s hand and followed him upwards. This gave him a chance to admire Victor’s body. It was so strong and lean with his muscles outlined. For a human, he had a wonderful pair of legs. They were long and he swam with such grace. He was like a dancer in the water whenever he moved.

Once they were out, Victor spat out his regulator and coughed a little bit before speaking up. “This is much better. You’ve learned some new words.”

“New words.” Yuuri pointed out. “Phichit’s teaching me.”

“Who?”

“My friend. He knows about...you...humans.” Yuuri shrugged. “I’m Yuuri.”

“Yuuri.” Victor repeated. “I know someone else with that name. He is a human who lives on the beach.”

“Two Yuris?”

“Yes, two Yuris. I know two Yuris. He's much younger than you, I think.” Victor smiled. “But you are definitely the more unique one. I have never seen anyone like you before. I didn’t even know you existed but here you are. I have proof that you’re real.”

“Real.” Yuuri said, saying each word how it was supposed to be said. Phichit practiced with him long and hard. “I am real, Victor. I am here.”

“I know.” Victor’s smile widened. “I like hearing you say my name. I have so much I want to ask you! I don’t know where to start though. Let’s see...your name is Yuuri. You’re half-manatee. You live in the ocean. What else do you do? What do you do for fun?”

“For fun?” Yuuri had no idea how to answer that question. “I...uh...I…”

“It’s okay if you don’t know what to say. Let’s see, how about another question? What do you like to eat?” Victor tried another approach and motioned eating. That would be an easy thing to talk about. “What do you enjoy eating?”

“Oh! Kelpsudon!”

“Kelpsudon?” That was certainly different. He had seen some places sell something called 'katsudon' but what on earth was 'kelpsudon'?

“Yes, kelpsudon!” Yuuri’s eyes were bright but he realized Victor had no idea what he was talking about. “It’s food.”

He had figured that much. After seeing the way Yuuri devoured cabbage and lettuce, something with kelp in it would be his favorite thing. In that sense, he was like a manatee. He didn’t eat meat so he had to go with plants. Still, he couldn’t understand what on earth kelpsudon could possibly be other than a dish made out of kelp.

“Show me?” He suggested. "Can you show me a kelpsudon?"

“Uh...yes, I can show you!” Yuuri motioned him to stay in place. “Wait! I will show you kelpsudon!”

“Really?”

“Yes! Stay! I...I’ll bring kelpsudon! You like kelpsudon! Stay here!”

Yuuri dove down into the water and Victor wanted to follow. However, he was told to stay so he did. Within minutes, Yuuri came back with a bowl of kelp in it. However, it was well-plated and looked like it could be edible. He handed it to Victor and motioned him to try it. “Eat! Eat! It’s good! Very good!

Victor stared at it and tried to smile. It looked pretty but that didn’t necessarily mean it tasted good. He was also unsure if it was fit for human consumption. However, Yuuri was looking at him and waiting to see if he would eat it. For his sake, Victor opted to try very little in the event that it wasn’t good. He didn't want to disappoint the mermanatee by being rude.

“Just a taste.” He told him, taking a little bit of the kelp in his mouth. That was when he noticed that he didn’t eat anything unusual. It was a bit of the cabbage he had gotten Yuuri earlier. It was a little salty from being in the saltwater but it was edible. He bit that and nodded. “Vkusno!”

“Hmm?” Yuuri was confused.

“That means it’s good. You were right. It's very good.” Victor explained, taking another piece of cabbage. He handed the bowl back. “You can eat the rest. I am full.”

“Okay.” The mer-manatee moved closer and looked down at Victor’s hand. He was very intrigued by it and was counting the fingers. “Five fingers here and five fingers there.”

“Just like you.” Victor showed him, touching the tips of his fingers. “So what would you like to do now?”

Yuuri had only one answer for that and tried to take Victor down into the water with him. “Come with me. I’ll show you something!”

Okay, okay, I’m coming! Show me!”

They dove far from this spot and Yuuri showed him a little cove that he didn’t know existed. Inside of it were several octopuses that looked like they were stretching. He had seen octopuses before but not this many in one area. Not only that, it looked like they were trying to dance with each other.

 _What’s going on?_ He wanted to ask. Yuuri took his hand with his flipper and moved him a little closer so they could see. Sure enough, his initial thought was right. The octopuses were dancing and waving their tentacles around. They were in their own little world, trying to rehearse something. He didn’t know what they were but Yuuri got them in a spot where he could explain things.

The Octopus Ballet.” He pointed to them. “They’re good.”

Victor stared at them as they moved around. For octopuses, they were indeed good. They had a lot of coordination and their movements were solid. If anything, they looked as good as some figure skaters did on ice. They could glide around and were in sync during some parts.

It was remarkable. The octopuses weren’t just dancing, more like floating about, but they were graceful through the water. They could put most ballerinas to shame with how they moved. They were so amazing that Victor could feel short of breath. Yuuri looked over at him as he ate his kelpsudon, scarfing it down, and watched the octopuses swimming around. It was like watching The Nutcracker in the ocean and it was incredible. They got to the part with the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy when Yuuri’s mind wandered away.

“Beautiful.” He murmured, eyes locked on Victor. That should have been aimed at the dancers but he was thinking of something else. He wanted to touch Victor’s hair again. He wanted to feel how silky it was and pluck those three hairs from him. He reached out to touch Victor’s head but Victor turned around at that moment. He saw Yuuri’s hand up in the air and wanted to know what that was about. Yuuri put it around Victor’s shoulder instead.

 _Is that too much? Is he okay? What if he doesn't like this?_ Yuuri wondered, scared to take his arm off. When Victor patted his hand, he knew it was okay. Victor wasn’t scared of him and he was okay with this interaction. He was intrigued by the way these octopuses were dancing. They didn’t seem to notice that they had an audience nor did they care.

Things were fine up until the moment Yuuri heard a familiar voice calling out to him. “Yo, Yuuri! What are you doing over there?!”

Yuuri winced. He didn’t need to turn around to know that it was JJ. However, he had to hide his guest somewhere. He motioned Victor to hide in a dark corner in the side where he couldn't be spotted easily. He got in front of Victor, doing his best to use his body to hide him. Yuuri was bigger in size and his tail could cover Victor up with ease. As long as Victor didn’t make a sound, they would be fine. The problem wasn’t that Victor couldn’t stay still. He sensed danger was nearby and that was why Yuuri was hiding him in the dark. But the air bubbles around him were going to give him away. He say a large merman with a beautiful green tail swimming up towards Yuuri. He had a very confident air about him from the way he swam around. 

“So what’s up?” JJ asked, coming closer. Victor understood nothing being said but he didn’t dare peek out. He listened as the two mermen made noises to each other. From the sounds of it, it didn’t seem like there was any trouble. The other merman was smiling and laughing, making Yuuri laugh a little bit too. It was sweet listening to them. They had nothing to fear.

That must be one of his friends. Victor realized as he listened to them make sounds. Nothing seemed aggressive but Yuuri kept moving around to make sure Victor stayed hidden. For his part, Victor stayed still. However, he was breathing loudly and bubbles were forming around his head. It didn’t take long for the other merman to notice all the bubbles behind Yuuri.

“What’s going on back there?” JJ asked.

Yuuri felt everything inside of him turn to ice. He too had noticed all of Victor’s air bubbles and could hear him taking some short breaths. .He had to think fast. He had to keep Victor hidden long enough for JJ to go away. He didn’t want him to see what was behind him.

Then he had the perfect idea. He turned bright red and pretended to embarrassed. “That was me, okay? You know this happens all the time. We manatees can’t help...you know, the gas.” Then he winced. "Ah, why did you notice?!"

It was true. Since he was half-manatee, he needed to stay buoyant like one and manatees did pass gas to do that. He never brought attention to this to anyone before but this time was an emergency. He had to pretend that these bubbles were not human air bubbles. Yes, it was embarrassing but at least JJ would understand why.

Sure enough, JJ laughed at that. “That’s all? Oh, I know you do that anyway! It’s natural. Well, I’ve got to go. I’ll see you around!”

Once JJ had swam off, Yuuri motioned Victor to come out of his hiding place. “I’m sorry. I didn’t…”

He didn’t know how to finish the sentence but Victor understood. He knew that Yuuri had said something to get that merman away from them. He took Yuuri’s flipper and gave it a tiny squeeze to say that it was fine. If needed to, he would be willing to hide and stay still. He could tell that Yuuri was a little scared to be with a human. After what the little merman had done last time, it was probably wise to keep their friendship a secret. Still, with the way Victor was holding his flipper, Yuuri wondered if it was possible that they could be more. 

They went back to watching The Octopus Ballet try to redo a scene from The Nutcracker. The first couple of scenes were done beautiful but they seemed to struggle in the middle. It would all go beautifully until one octopus would veer off in the wrong direction and go off stage. Then they would have to start all over again, much to the annoyance of the other dancers. It didn’t bother Yuuri. He managed to get his arm around Victor’s shoulders again and tried to inch closer to his hair. Three hairs weren’t supposed to be hard to pluck. He could just run his fingers through Victor’s hair and gently get them out. Slowly, he inched upwards to the nape of Victor’s neck. He could do this. He had to.

He fingernails brushed against Victor’s neck, which was a bad idea. Victor felt something pinch him and winced. Yuuri pulled away and kept his hands to himself. No, he couldn’t do this. He couldn’t hurt this human, no matter how much he wanted his wish to come true. He wanted Victor to trust him and to like him. So far, he had gotten close enough to put his arm around him and to hold hands. He wanted to keep Victor close to him.

“Yuuri! Yuuri, come here!”

Once again, Yuuri had to hide Victor. It was Guang-Hong and Leo and they did not have good news. Vicchan was with them and he rushed over to his master. Victor realized that now was the time to hide again so he went into the darkness while Yuuri went to greet the other two. It was all fascinating. Yuuri was the only mer-manatee that he had seen aside from the girl mer-manatee with the scars on her tail. Everyone else had been a regular mermen to him. He decided to observe them and saw one of them had ropes. No doubt these must have come from some boat that had been trying catch fish. Judging from the blood on those ropes, they had clearly done more harm. 

“What happened?!” Yuuri looked at the bloodied ropes. “Who did this?”

“Some humans. We caught a few rays and fish stuck in them. We were able to save most but a few…” Guang-Hong stopped talking as he looked down. It was clear he didn’t want to talk about what had happened. “We tried.”

“I’m sorry.”

“You have nothing to be sorry about. Those humans have been lingering that area for too long. They throw their garbage everywhere and poor fish get caught in there. Vicchan almost got caught in the nets as well but we were able to get him out.” Leo shook his head. “Anyway, I just want to say that you should be careful around them. They’re coming closer to these areas so don’t try to get involved with anyone.”

“They’re really that bad?” 

“Bad doesn’t even begin to describe them. I know you ran into that human earlier but you got lucky. The rest of his kind aren’t friendly. Who knows what that one would have done to you?”

“He wouldn’t have hurt me!” Yuuri insisted. “He’s not like other humans!”

“How do you know that?” Guang-Hong asked. “You only got close to him for a few seconds. How can you tell he was friendly?”

“I...uh…” Yuuri realized that he needed to come up with a good lie and quickly. “I got a quick look into his eyes. They weren’t cruel but very sweet. I think he was more scared of me than I was of him.”

“Humans can be very deceiving, Yuuri. A lot of them look sweet but they are cruel deep down. That human would probably hurt you if you tried to get any closer.” 

Yuuri thought about Victor who was still hiding in his place. It wasn’t very comfortable and he was starting to feel a little ill. He still had enough air to stay down longer but his lungs felt like they were burning. He wanted to surface quickly and get some fresh air from above. His legs felt numb but he tried to ignore them. As long as he didn’t move or make too many noises, those merman were not going to notice him. Still, he was looking at mermen and he had proof that they existed. If he could just a quick picture, he could show people that they were real.

Just one photo. All I need is one photo of them. He thought. He had no intention of selling the pic. He just wanted proof for himself and those closest to him. 

Then he changed his mind. Yuuri would be furious if he found out about this. They were just getting to know each other and he didn’t want to ruin this budding friendship. For the time being, he had to keep this a secret. He could only admire these mermen from a distance and wish that he understood what they were talking about. His legs were still numb but the merman finally left and Yuuri came back to help him out of his hiding place.

“I’m sorry.” He apologized as the little puffer fish swam around them. Victor recognized it as the same puffer fish he had seen days ago. Now he knew that it was Yuuri’s pet because it was following him around everywhere. “Are you okay?”

Victor nodded and motionened he needed to go up. He wanted some air from above and he could ask Yuuri all the questions he had. He wanted to know who those mermen were and what they had been talking about. Judging from the way Yuuri reacted, he seemed annoyed by what they were saying. It was like they were having an argument until the other two left. From their faces, it looked like they were warning Yuuri about something.

“Come with me.” Yuuri took his hand and slowly began to bring him out of the water. “Come on, Vicchan! Stay with me!”

It hit him at that moment that Vicchan was short for Victor. He had no idea why he had picked that name for his pet but it just seemed perfect at the time. Now he could officially introduce Vicchan to Victor and tell him all about his life. Of course, he was still learning how to talk like a human and their conversations were short. Bit by bit, they would get to know more about each other.

When they finally surfaced and Victor took a few deep breaths of the air around him, he began asking questions. “Okay, who were those mermen? Why were they angry with you? Did I make a sound? What was going on?”

“Victor! Victor!” Yuuri tried to stop him. “Ah...I...um…”

Victor calmed down. “I forgot. You’re still learning how to talk. It’s okay. You can tell me another time. Are you okay?”

Yuuri nodded and reached out to touch Victor’s hair. He was right there. It would be easy to pull his hair out but he didn’t want to do anything to scare him. He was tempted to feel his skin and feel how warm he was. Victor was wet and cold from spending a long time in the water yet some warmth was in him. He had no idea what he wanted to say. He couldn't just touch him. What if he accidentally hurt him in the process? How did humans show affection to each other? He had seen all of Phichit's books with the pictures of affectionate humans but each person had their own way.

“Can I…Can I…” He held up his hand and tried to reach out.

Victor seemed to get what he meant. He reached out and let Yuuri touch his cheek. “Here.” 

“Warm.” Yuuri murmured when he ran his fingers down Victor’s face. “Very warm.”

“You’re warm too.” Victor told him, feeling as Yuuri’s fingers ran down his cheeks and touched his jaw. His bone structure was so strong and he had that cute heart-shaped mouth whenever he smiled. Then he traced Victor’s lips and wanted to get closer to him. “Pretty face.”

“Thank you. You have a pretty face too.” 

It would be easy to draw blood or pluck hair from him. Victor was so close that he could do what he needed to. His hands went upwards and began to feel how soft and wet Victor's hair was. Victor started to laugh when he felt Yuuri's fingernails against his scalp. He found that soft spot on the top of Victor's head and that only made him laugh louder. They were close to each other's faces now, lips only inches away. Yuuri knew that humans could do something called kissing and that was when their lips touched each other. If he moved just a little closer, he could kiss Victor. He just didn't know what to do after that.

_Just a little closer..._

“What the fuck?!”

Victor turned around to find that they weren’t too far from the shore. In fact, they were only a few feet away and Yuri had found them. At first, he couldn't understand why Yuri was here since he wasn't that fond of the beach. Then he remembered that he had left Makkachin with the younger man. Someone had to take care of her and Yuri was the only available. He had complained about that job because Makkachin always wanted to roll around in the sand. She'd get that in her fur and that meant bath time as well. Unfortunately for Yuri, Victor made him Makkachin's dog-sitter for the day and he got no chance to complain today.

All Yuri had hoped for was a quick walk to let Makkachin do her business and then go home. What he never thought to see was what was before him. Victor and some chubby merman were in the water together yet that wasn't the strangest thing for him. He was having a hard time trying to understand what was going on. He looked at both of them, waiting for an explanation of some sort. Then he looked to his left at something.

“Yuri, I can explain this!” Victor insisted. “I know it makes no sense but…”

“Fuck, I’m not that shocked with you! I had a feeling you were being weird with some sea creature out there!”

Yuuri looked at Victor. “Is that Yuri two?”

"That's Yuri." Victor nodded. “I’ll take care of him, I promise.” 

He turned to Yuri. “Listen, Yuri...I know it seems strange but there is an explanation for this. A good one! I just...I need time. If you can…”

“I’m not concerned about you, idiot! What the heck is that?!”

He pointed to the corner where there was a merman resting on a rock. He was a more intense, serious looking merman compared to the others that Victor had seen. Unlike them, he was focused on Yuri. He didn’t seem to notice the other two that were in the water. Yuuri recognized this as Otabek and wondered why he was here. What did he want? What was he doing? The last couple of days, he had been acting strange. No one was able to talk to him and he always brushed past the other merfolk when he was swimming around. Now he was here and he had his eye on the other Yuri.

"Otabek, what are you..." Yuuri started, unsure how to fix this issue. 

The other Yuri had the same question. "What are you staring at, asshole merman?!"

Otabek answered him with a thumbs-up and dove back into the water, which left everyone more confused than before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come find me on tumblr! [fallsintograce](http://fallsintograce.tumblr.com)
> 
> The Otayuri stuff will probably stay very tame for anyone that might be worried. It'll be similar to how it is in the show, where they are friends. But now, Yuri knows their secret! What happens next?!


	11. Untitled for now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A slow movement...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My apologies for the shortness of this chapter. I'm going to leave day after tomorrow and I wanted to get this fic updated before I left. I probably won't get to the next part till early March. I don't know how much computer time I will get but I will try to get on as much as possible. This is a bit of slow chapter but I promise next one, things will move along much faster. Unbetaed for now and I apologize for lack of chapter title but I'll come up with something in the morning.

“Are you serious about all of this?” Yuri asked, still trying to understand everything. Victor had gotten out of the water while the merman he had been with was still hanging around. “You mean to tell me you’ve been spending time with this water pig here?!”

“He’s half-manatee, Yuri. Manatees are more like cows than pigs.”

“Whatever. The point is...this is what you’ve been doing and you told no one?!” He rubbed his forehead. He didn’t ask about the stoic merman that had been hanging around yet. Instead, he just wanted to know what the hell was going through Victor’s mind. “You’ve been hanging around a merman! Do you know how big that is?! No one has seen one until now!”

“I do.” Victor nodded, looking over at Yuuri who was too shy to say anything. He didn’t know how to react to this smaller, angrier human. “Still, Yuuri is special.”

“You named him after me? Great.” 

“No, that is his name.” He soon realized what the younger Yuri meant. “Ah, but this is going to be a problem. I need to give you another name.”

“Uh...Yurio?” Yuuri cut in. He had no idea what they were talking about but he wanted the younger one’s attention. He didn’t know what to call him but he did remember something his sister told him. Whenever she wanted to nickname a human, she usually put an ‘o’ at the end of their name. Somehow, that was how she told everyone apart. So he decided to try that with this human.

“Huh?” Yuri looked up. “What did you call me?”

“Yurio.” Yuuri repeated. “Your name…”

“That’s not my name, asshole!” Yuri screamed so loudly that Yuuri nearly dove back down into the water. The good thing about being a mer-manatee was that he could dive so far that no one human could come after him. 

Victor began to laugh. “I think it’s a perfect name for you! Yurio! Now I can tell you apart!” 

“Fuck you! I’m not going by that stupid name given by that stupid manatee!”

“He’s a mer-manatee.”

“Who cares?! Listen, Victor, I don’t know what you’re doing but how can you keep it a secret for so long? Mer-manatees, mermen...all this exist and you never said a word? This is bigger than anything you’ve found before. Did he show you anything? Like did he show you were he lives or introduce you to other mer-manatees?”

“Um, not really?” Victor blushed. “I’ve seen some swimming around but I didn’t talk to them. I did have a run-in with another mer-manatee. I think that’s his sister. And you remember my injury?” He held out his hand with the scar on it. “A merman did that.”

“Holy shit! I can’t believe you!” Yuri shook his head. “Has anyone else them besides you and me?”

“I don’t think so. Chris hasn’t told me that he’s seen anything. Neither has anyone else. You are the only other human to see Yuuri.” Victor looked over at where the shy mer-manatee was hiding. He figured that he was scared of Yuri so he motioned him to come closer. “Come on. Yurio won’t hurt you.”

“That’s not my name!” Yuri snapped. “And what’s the deal with that other merman? Is he the one who bit you?”

“No. I’ve never made contact with that merman either. I wonder why he was over here.” Victor looked down at Yuuri. “I didn’t tell anyone because I didn’t know if you’d believe me. Besides, I didn’t want to scare Yuuri. He’s still learning how to speak.”

“Oh, so he probably speaks manatee or something? Well, now that you know he exists, what are you going to do? You can’t keep a friendship like this. You’ll have to leave eventually and he can’t follow you. On the other hand, you can’t stay with him cause he’s not a human. Does he even know that you’re going home in a month?”

Victor paled when he remembered that part. He was going home and Yuuri had no idea about it. He didn’t know where Victor’s home actually was. They had just gotten close enough to talk to each other. How could he leave him so soon? Looking over at Yuuri, who was still hiding, he tried to get him to come a little closer. Somehow, he didn’t look comfortable. He saw how serious they both looked and he worried they were talking about him. 

“It’s okay, Yuuri. There’s nothing to be afraid of.” He nudged Yuri who just rolled his eyes in reply. “Yurio is a friend. He won’t tell anyone about you.”

“Stop calling me Yurio.” Yuri grumbled but moved closer to see the mer-manatee. It was odd. He was chubby and looked so stupid yet he was also beautiful at the same time. There was something striking about those big brown eyes and the blush across his nose and cheeks. No wonder Victor had been drawn to him. He was unlike any other sea creature out there.

“So you’re the one with my name, huh?” He began.

“Huh?” Yuuri repeated. “I...uh…”

“I told you. He’s still learning how to speak.” Victor moved closer and began to talk slowly with Yuuri. “Don’t worry, my Yuuri. Everything is going to be fine. Yurio won’t tell anyone about you.”

“My Yuuri?” Yuuri couldn’t believe what he had heard. While he didn’t understand everything, he understood that little bit. “I’m yours?”

“Yeah, he’s yours?” Yuri looked at Victor, not sure what to make of this. “You’re just too weird. You’re in love with a manatee!” 

“Mer-manatee.” Victor corrected him again. “He’s a mer-manatee.”

“Does it really matter? The main thing is that he’s not human and he can’t be yours.”

“Why not?” Yuuri asked. “Why can’t I be Victor’s?”

“Because...because…” Yuri was flustered. He could see that the two of them had made a strong connection with each other. The way Victor looked at Yuuri was different. It was the way a man looked at someone they had fallen for. Neither could stop looking at each other in that lovey-dovey manner. They could deny it but this had gone beyond friendship.

“You’re not human.” He told Yuuri who went blank in the face. “I’m sorry but it’s true. How can you and Victor expect to be together?”

“Yurio! Don’t say that to him!” Victor gasped. Deep down, he was thinking the same thing. How could he tell Yuri that he would be leaving after a month? He hadn’t come up with a plan for that. “I know we’re from two different worlds but we can be friends! We’ll find a way to make it work!”

“How?” Yuri challenged him. “Tell me how you plan to make this work. What is this big plan of yours?”

Victor opened his mouth but closed it immediately. He hadn’t thought this through. They couldn’t live like this forever. “Do you think they’ll allow me to let him live in my bathtub?”

“You’re an idiot. He doesn’t belong in any bathtub or pool! He needs to stay here!” Yuri threw his arms up in the air. “You haven’t thought that far ahead at all! Have you told him anything?”

As the other two spoke, Yuuri watched them. He could tell something had gone wrong but they were talking too fast for him. Then they switched to talking in some other language and he had no idea what was being said. He wanted to throw in his input and he wanted to protect Victor from the younger. From what he could see, this Yuri was angry with Victor and Victor just looked confused. He couldn’t answer back right away. He was sitting on those rocks with his hand resting on one of them. It would be easy to draw his blood from right here. Just a tiny prick and he wouldn’t notice anything.

 _Three drops of blood. All I need is three drops of his blood. It should not be hard. I don’t want to hurt him too much. I have to be quick and he won't notice a thing._ He told himself, inching a little closer. Victor hadn’t moved his hand from that spot. The question was where to get that blood from. The veins in his hands were popping out, all blue and easy to spot. Just a tiny prick would be enough to get something.

 _I don’t know if I can do this. Even if it is small, I’m still hurting him. I need another plan._ He pulled away as Victor’s hand moved from the rock. That gave him time to think a little bit about his moves. It could easy to scratch Victor and let that blood drip out. Why was this so hard? He didn’t like to attack anyone but he could do it. Just one prick was needed. One prick would give him what he needed. The blood drops would be the hardest things to obtain so he might as well do it now. 

Victor put his hand back down and he saw his chance. One prick. All he needed was one prick.

Unfortunately for him, the other Yuri saw what was going on. “Hey, what are you doing?!”

Yuuri lost his concentration and accidentally ended up scratching Victor when he least expected. Victor let out a little cry and pulled his hand back, caressing it. The look on his face was that of pain and the other Yuri went to see what was wrong. He was bleeding now and Yuuri panicked, diving back down into the water. He was too scared because he knew he had hurt Victor. This was not the way he wanted to draw his blood. He never wanted to make him cry out in pain. He didn't want Victor to be uncomfortable and now he had scared him.

_What did I do?! Now he’ll never want to talk to me again!_

Yuuri panicked as he swam further down. He didn’t want anyone to follow him and he didn’t want to go back up again. He didn’t want to show his face to anyone. All he wanted was a rock so he could crawl under it.

“Yuuri?”

He almost let out a scream until he saw who it was. Otabek was also in hiding from something. He had been behind a rock when he saw Yuuri swimming down, looking like he wanted to escape. For a second, Yuuri didn’t want to reply but he knew he could trust Otabek. Otabek wouldn’t tell anyone about this. He kept a lot of things to himself and wasn't the kind to gossip about. 

“What is wrong?” He asked.

“I...uh...oh, I messed up.” Yuuri murmured. “I hurt the human by accident.”

“Which human? The small one?”

“No, Victor! You know, the human that was with me? I’ve been watching him for a long time and I finally got to speak to him. And then…” He sighed. “He’ll never speak to me again after this. I know it! I saw that look on his face and I don't know what to do!”

“If it was an accident, I’m sure he will understand. Give him a peace offering if you see him next time. That’s what I intend to do.”

“You want to give Victor a peace offering?”

“Not him. The other one.”

“Yurio? What about him?” Yuuri asked. 

“I find him interesting compared to most humans. I’ve been watching him for some time but I haven’t been able to say anything. You are very brave to get close enough to a human. I haven’t been able to do that. I want to be as brave as you are with humans.”

“I guess you have a point but now... I don’t think Victor will want my peace offering. I hurt him. I…” Yuuri trailed off. He did need that blood but not like that. He wanted Victor to trust him and now he had probably lost that trust. “I’m not sure what to do anymore.”

“Do what you’ve always done. Talk to him. You’re learning the human language, aren’t you? That’s more than what I’ve learned. I’m sure he is a forgiving human. If you tell him it’s an accident, I don’t think he will be angry.”

 _That is so easy for you to say._ Yuuri thought. Out loud, he replied. “I’ll see what I can do.”

“I’m sure you’ll be fine. Just talk to him.”

That was so much easier to say than do. He worried about Victor’s reaction. What if he chose not to come back? First Minami bit him and now this. That would be enough to turn anyone away from the ocean. At the same time, Otabek had a good point. If he wanted to let Victor know he was sorry, the only way to do that was to make it up to him. He would give him a peace offering and tell him it was an accident. Victor was a forgiving person. He would understand and they could continue building this relationship. They could go back to normal. 

They had to go back to normal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to say hi to me here or on tumblr! [fallsintograce](http://fallsintograce.tumblr.com) I'd love to hear from you!


	12. Untitled

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And this is when everything starts to unravel...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My apologies for taking forever with the next chapter. I also apologize for the lack of a chapter title right now. I swear I'll come up with something soon. Since it's May and it's also mer-May, expect me to update all the mer fics this month starting with this one (which needed to be updated a while ago). I know this chapter is a bit short and I know I've been dragging this fic but this is where it really starts to speed up and things start to fall apart.

The next few days changed the entire feel of the water. The waves, once calm and rolling, were now crashing on the shore. People on land were worried that couldn’t go down to the beaches and they were baffled. The problem was that they had no idea what was really happening below them. They didn’t know about the trouble that was brewing and what was going to come. There was a storm approaching and one they weren’t prepared for. 

It was tense down in the ocean, far below where no human could see. There were some things that were worrying the merfolk. They still feared humans, of course, but these humans were different. They had been lingering around the place for some time now, digging up whatever they could in the dirt and just disrupting everything in the ocean. Maybe they meant no harm but no one wanted to get close to them. That’s why a meeting had been called at the Katsuki’s home. Some humans were getting far too close to discovering merfolk and it was time to put an end to it. 

The biggest issues were that some merfolk were trying to be friendly with humans. Rumors had been spreading about certain mermaids and mermen. These merfolk weren’t just looking at humans. That was one thing. No, they were touching them. They were talking to these humans. The worst were the ones who were getting close enough to kiss them. 

“We can’t keep hiding forever.” The merfolk were saying. “They must know about us. It hasn’t been a problem before but now...if they learn the truth…”

“Humans can’t appreciate us.” JJ shook his head. “We’ve tried to be friendly. They won’t even look at us. They think we’re strange. They’re interesting but they don’t like us.” 

Hiroko tried to calm them down. “I understand. I didn’t think too much of it before but now…”

“It’s different now.” Mari muttered. “I think they want to find us this time. I swear, I’ve seen some merfolk getting close to humans including…” She trailed off, unsure if she wanted to reveal this. She had been following her brother around the past few days and had noticed how close he had gotten to a human. So far, that human hadn’t done anything to Yuuri yet but it was just a matter of time.

“What is it?” Hiroko asked. “What do you know?”

Mari took a deep breath. Yuuri was going to be unhappy about this but it was time for this to be out in the open. “I’ve seen Yuuri with one of those humans.” 

There was a huge gasp that went up in the crowd and everyone began to talk amongst themselves. Toshiya got everyone to calm down before turning to his daughter. “What do you mean Yuuri was with a human? I know he’s been interested in them. I’ve seen friend bring him things back from the land above. But mingling with a human? That’s not him.”

“I didn’t think that was like him either until I began following him around for a few days. He knows about what happened to me and he vowed to keep his distance.” She looked down at her tail and saw all the scars from boats. Humans had done this. They were the ones responsible for destroying the oceans. There was no reason for Yuuri to get close. “From what I saw, he interacted with one of those human divers. Yuuri was showing him around but the human didn’t hurt him.”

“Still, that is dangerous. Even if the human didn’t do anything now, he might later on. What did this human look like?”

“I didn’t get a close look but his hair was like moonlight. He seemed very friendly and Yuuri actually laughed a few times around him. I haven’t seen my brother this happy over anything.” Mari murmured. “All the same, we have to be cautious. What if this human tells other humans about us? Then they’ll all show up here and destroy everything. They’ll take back whatever they find to show other humans. I bet that’s what this human wants to do. I’ve seen him digging around on his own. In fact, he’s been doing that for a long time.”

“Silver hair?” Minami asked. “Oh, I remember him! That horrible creature that was with Yuuri was the same one I bit! I thought he’d go away after that but he didn’t!”

“No, he is quite stubborn.” Leo agreed. “I’ve heard his name around. I think he’s that infamous human treasure hunter that roams the oceans for anything that might have fallen in it. He doesn’t seem to be one of those humans trying to hurt us. Most of the word about him is good.”

“Still, I don’t know how I feel about Yuuri being so close to him.” Hiroko murmured. She turned to Minako who had been listening to all this in silence. “What do you think?”

It was hard to come up with an answer at first. Minako didn’t want to admit that she knew about this from the very beginning. She knew how interested Yuuri was in humans and how much wanted to impress this one. She didn’t see any harm in this because this was a human who wouldn’t hurt them. Yuuri believed that and she did as well. 

“I think Yuuri is old enough to know what is right and wrong. I think he can judge these humans on his own.” She finally replied. “After all, if he isn’t hurt, then there is nothing to worry about.” 

“All the same, I want you to keep an eye on him. If you see him with a human, I need you to intervene. I’m just worried that he may do something that will hurt him in the end.”

Minako could only fake a smile at this point. She believed that Yuuri was smart enough and knew right from wrong. He wasn’t going to go after any human that he thought was dangerous. She had to warn him about this before anyone else found him. She knew where he would be as well. After some time, he went back to following his human around. They were spending more time together and Yuuri was asking about the human world. He’d take his human down to a little hiding spot and show him things. Right now, they were there and she had to talk the human. She needed to get to know him.

“I’ll do whatever I can.” She promised Hiroko before the meeting was adjourned and everyone was dismissed. She had to wait and make sure no one else tried to follow her. Once she was sure she was alone, she went in the direction of Yuuri’s hideout.

It wasn’t a big space, an area hidden far from where merfolk usually hung around. It was in a tiny cove where he could spend hours, surrounded by rocks and seaweed. This had been Yuuri’s hiding place when he was younger. Anytime he was scared or feeling stressed out, he came down here. Sometimes, he would collect things and bring into his hiding spot. It was where he felt safe and he never wanted anyone else in there, not even his friends. The fact that he was bringing a human there showed that how much that human meant to him. It wasn’t too deep but it was far away from land. These days, Yuuri was spending a lot of time in his special place. 

When she found him, she saw that the human was there and showing Yuuri some of the human things from the ocean floor. One of them was a fork that humans used when they wanted to eat. The human looked at it and nodded at something Yuuri had said. Then Yuuri tried to scoop up the sand with it and was disappointed that it didn’t work. Minako didn’t want to interrupt this but she had to.

“Yuuri!” She called out to him. Yuuri almost dropped the fork on the sand and tried to hide his human friend. “It’s okay! I’m not here to hurt him. In fact, I’m glad he’s here.”

“All I was doing was showing him some human things. I wanted to know how humans used them.” He explained.

“I know.” She nodded. “I actually want to talk to him if that’s all right with you. There are some things that he needs to know. I came back from talking with your family and_”

“My family?” Yuuri cut her off. Then he realized that he had missed everything. “Oh no, it’s all over, isn’t it?! I didn’t mean to forget! Please don’t blame Victor for this! I didn’t even tell him!” He turned to the human. “I’m sorry. I forgot to do something.” 

“It’s okay, Yuuri! I didn’t come to reprimand either of you.” She assured him. Hearing Yuuri speak the human language was strange. He had learned a lot over these few days and was getting much better at it. He was able to string sentences together and didn’t stumble over words as much. “I really do want to talk to him about something. It’s very important and I think he should be aware of what’s going on.”

“Why? What were they talking about?”

“It involves humans and merfolk getting close to each other.” Minako closed her eyes and looked at the human who was confused. He couldn’t figure out what they were saying. “I think we should let him surface and I can tell him everything there.” 

“You have to tell me as well.” Yuuri insisted. “If it’s going to affect him, then I need to protect him.”

“There’s nothing to be alarmed about! You don’t have to protect him from anything!” Minako insisted, motioning they go up. “Come now. I have to hear your human’s voice.”

“Victor. He has a name.”

“Okay.” She nodded to the top the water. “Come on, Victor.”

“It’s fine. Minako-sensei is a friend.” Yuuri told him, taking his hand and squeezing it. “Come with me.” 

As soon as they made it out and Victor’s was able to take in a big gulp of air, he had a million questions for them. “Yuuri, what’s going on? Are we in trouble? Did I do something wrong?”

“No, no, you are not in trouble.” Minako insisted. She knew how to speak the human language of English just fine since she had also spent time watching and listening to them. “I’ve heard about you from Yuuri for a while now. I’m glad we finally get to meet.”

“Minako-sensei is my teacher and a friend of the family.” Yuuri added. “She won’t hurt you.” 

“I need to speak to both of you because it concerns humans and merfolk both.” She began. “I told your mother and father that you were practicing your dance at my place. They figured you had lost track of time. Anyway, a lot of merfolk are suspicious about humans getting closer to us. They’re afraid that humans will try to destroy our home.” She looked over at Victor whose smile had disappeared. “Now they want to do something about it.”

“Like what?” Victor had to ask. “Are you telling me to leave Yuuri alone?”

“No!” Yuuri shook his head. “I can’t do that, Minako-sensei! There’s so much I need to know, so much left to do! He was showing me what these human things do! I_”

“Let me finish, Yuuri.” Minako held up her hands. “The meeting was about humans and merfolk becoming more than just friends. They fear that merfolk are becoming too trusting of humans. They’re afraid that the humans might have ulterior motives that could hurt the oceans and everything that lives in it. This has happened before in the past.”

 

“It has?” Victor spoke up. “What did...What did they do?”

“I don’t know if I can say. It happened many years ago, before Yuuri was even born…” Minako closed her eyes. “Anyway, what I’m trying to say is that you should be careful. Avoid merfolk as much as you can. If you hear anything coming from the ocean, ignore it. As much as I hate to tell you this, limit your time with Yuuri.”

“But why?” Yuuri wanted to know. He knew she was hiding something big from him. “Victor hasn’t done anything wrong! He would never hurt us! He wouldn’t_”

“Yuuri, let her finish.” Victor cut him off. Then he turned to her. “Are you telling me to stay away from him?”

“No!” Yuuri insisted. “You can’t tell him to go away! And it wasn’t his fault! I was the one who…” He almost gave away what he had done but stopped himself. If Minako-sensei knew he had made a deal with the sea witch, she would be infuriated. She would try to stop this from happening and then tell his family. 

“You did what?”

“Nothing.” He finally murmured. “Look, all I know is that Victor is not dangerous. I won’t let anybody hurt him.”

“I know you won’t. I’m saying this for your own good. I know you care about each other and I want to keep you safe. Don’t say anything to other merfolk. Don’t take Victor to see them. If anything, keep Victor far from the sea.” 

None of this was good. Yuuri was starting to get closer to Victor and he knew he could fulfill his duties. He would able to do everything that the sea witch had asked of him. That would be impossible if he and Victor were separated. They were finally getting to know each other. Victor had even told him what the figurine was of; a figure skater. Apparently, humans had the ability to glide across frozen water and do fancy tricks on it. Victor himself had skated in the past and wanted to show Yuuri pictures of those days. How could he do that if he was to stay away? He had promised Yuuri that he would try to show him how people did that and Yuuri wanted to see it. He wanted to know everything that happened up on land.

“I’m sorry. I can’t do that.” Yuuri finally said. “I can’t tell him to go away. Not when we’ve become so close. Not when…” He wondered if he could tell them what he had done. Victor would never forgive him and his teacher would be angry. At the same time, it would be better to hear from him than someone else. It was better if they knew from him. “Actually, there is something I should tell you. It’s something that may not make sense right now. I promise I did it to help us!” 

“Help us? Yuuri, what have you done?” Minako wanted to know. She knew something bad was going to happen but her student wasn’t saying a word. “Are we danger?”

“No! I wouldn’t do anything like that! I wouldn’t…” He looked over at Victor who was waiting for someone to give him the truth. He wanted to know why he couldn’t visit the ocean. “I...I’m not trying to cause harm to anyone. I just want to keep Victor safe.”

“Safe from what?” Victor asked. “Yuuri, what’s going on? What did you do?”

“I…”

“HUMAN! It’s a human!”

Yuuri never got the chance to explain himself because JJ’s girlfriend, Isabella, had just found them. There was no reason for her to be here. She hadn’t been spying on them but she ended up coming across them anyway. Yuuri and Minako didn’t surprise her. It was the human that was a threat. This was what they had been warned about. 

“Look, this isn’t what it…” Yuuri started to say but he couldn’t finish. More merfolk showed up along with several of their pets, ready to draw some human blood. He had to calm them down before they did anything to Victor. Minako was beside him, trying to get everyone to stay away. She didn’t want this to become a bloodbath. “Please stand back. He doesn’t mean any_”

“GET HIM!” 

And that was when they all launched their attack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Scream at me at my tumblr @ fallsintograce.


	13. Round and Golden

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A decision is made...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After 84 years, I finally update this! It's not a long chapter and I apologize for that. I haven't been feeling well so all my fics pretty much took the back burner. I am going to start updating more though. You will notice that yes, we have definite number of chapters now! Things are going to start picking up around here! But yes, there is some danger on the horizon. You will see soon enough.

Victor winced as Chris tried to patch up his arms, legs, and face. He had no idea how he had managed to get out of the water in this condition but he was alive. It was all thanks to Yuuri, of course, but he knew he couldn’t go see him whenever he wanted to. Not all mer-folk were like Yuuri. He found this out the hard way when they launched themselves at him. Yuuri did his best to protect him and he could still hear that voice yelling at him.

_Swim away, Victor! Get to shore! I’ll hold them off!_

He had tried swimming up to the surface and trying to get to land but those mermaids were not forgiving. He had been snapped at him, bitten, slashed, and hit by them. The more he tried to get away, the more they tried their hardest to pull him under and drown him. If it had not been for Yuuri pulling him away and taking him to the shore, he knew he would have died. 

Yuuri apologized continuously for what happened. “I’m trying my hardest to reason with them. Very few merfolk actually believe that humans are good. I want them to change their minds but…”

Victor stopped him at that moment with a kiss. He didn’t want Yuuri to feel guilty about what had gone down. It was a quick one on the lips but it did the job. Yuuri stopped talking and gently pulled away. They stared at each for a minute before looked down at his arm and saw the blood seeping from it. For some reason, he wasn’t feeling that much pain. 

“I know you tried your hardest but there were too many of them.” He told Yuuri. “I’m going to be fine.”

“You do realize we have to be careful from now on.” Yuuri whispered, gingerly touching Victor’s wounds. None of them were deep but he did need to get everything checked out. “If they see you again, they will kill you. I don’t know if I can fight them all off alone. From now on, we can only meet in secret and you’ll have to meet me in places that you have probably never seen before.”

“I can do that. Tell me where you want me to go and I will go there.” 

“There’s a lost city in the sea...humans don’t know about it because they’ve never gone that far. You remember the last place that we were? Go left and keep going down until you see it. I’ll be waiting there everyday.” Yuuri explained. “Trust me. You will know you are in the right place. That city is not hard to miss. We keep it hidden from humans because we are afraid of what they could do to it. I’m letting you in because it’s the only place we can be together. Well, that and the sand but I can’t stay here forever.”

“I wish there was a way you could.” Victor murmured. “I want to take you places that are up here.”

Hearing that made Yuuri feel even worse about what he was doing. He managed to get those drops of blood without Victor noticing him. “For now, let’s try to meet in or by the sea. If you know of a place on land close to the water, I can meet you there.” 

Victor almost spoke but the pain was too much. He grabbed his arm and tried to stop the bleeding. “You should go now. You’ve done all you can but I need someone else that can help me.” 

“Oh.” Yuuri pulled away from him. “Try to stay away from the sea tonight. You’re safer on land. When I get the chance, I’ll try to find you up here.”

“But how? You don’t know many places up in the surface, do you?”

“It doesn’t matter. I’ll find you.” Yuuri turned away when he heard human voices. “I need to leave. Make sure you take care of those wounds.” He hesitated for a second before planting a quick kiss on Victor’s cheek. Victor tried to say something but Yuuri moved quickly and dove back into the water. He didn’t know what it was yet he thought Yuuri was hiding something. He was hiding the truth.

That had been only half an hour ago. Chris had found him and taken him back to clean him up. It was a miracle that the wounds were not deep. They were now sitting inside with Victor wondering if he could tell Chris about what happened. He did mention that some sea creatures had done this, which was partially true. There were dangerous fish and mammals down there. He just didn’t mention what exactly had done this.

Chris was having a hard time buying this. “We’ve swam with sharks and sea snakes before. We swam around jellyfish, whales, and rays. In all those times, we have never gotten hurt. Why is it different this time?”

“I was unlucky.” Victor shrugged. “It was a bad time to be in the ocean.”

“You normally don’t bother sea creatures enough to get them to attack you. You’ve always respected their space and like to play with them. I can’t see why they would try to hurt you. Not to mention, you said you got scratched up by coral and rocks?”

“It can happen. It’s happened before.”

“Those were small cuts though. You look like you’ve been attacked by a mob.”

 _You don’t know the half of it._ Victor thought. As much as he wanted to tell Chris the truth, he was tired at the moment. He wanted some sleep. “I’m going to be fine. If you’re done, then I’d like to get some rest.”

“Of course.” Chris stood up and began to put his things away. “I’m not sure what happened to you but I hope you are careful the next time you go down there. I’ll go with you if you need me to.”

“No, I’ll be fine. I need to get better first.” Victor showed him the bandages on his body. “I swear I’m not in trouble, Chris. I will be careful if I go on my own.”

“Are you sure?”

“I am.”

He knew that Chris was saying all this because he did care about him. Even if they weren’t together anymore, there was still that part of Chris that wanted to protect him. If Victor told him the truth about what happened, there was no doubt that Chris would be doing his best to keep him safe. He would keep Victor away from the water where nothing could hurt him. 

Now Yuuri was also in a difficult spot and Victor still didn’t know where they could meet on land. His best bet was to follow Yuuri’s instructions and try to find the city. He knew where they had last been and he could go left and down to find it. While Yuuri didn’t say exactly what was in that lost city, he had a good feeling he knew what lay below. There had been talks of many of these cities for a while but no one had ever found them. Some said that it was because they were buried too deep for people to find. Others that thought that magic was evolved and the cities were covered with some shield. Whatever the reason, he was going to be the first person to see this.

Chris started to leave the room but stopped long enough to look at him. “I know you aren’t ready to tell me what’s going on but I’m still here for you. If you need someone, I’m always here. It doesn’t matter how strange it sounds. I will help you.”

“I know you will. Thank you.” Victor whispered.

He turned his gaze to the window and watched as waves rolled in and out. The sea was noisy tonight but there was no wind out there. It was a beautiful scene and the noises were peaceful. The only thing he worried about was Yuuri. The merfolk had almost ripped him to pieces but what would they do to Yuuri? Would they turn on him and hurt him for this?

 _No, Yuuri is stronger than this. He will find a way to survive._ He told himself. Deep down, he was scared. Makkachin realized this too because she made her way to her owner and rested her head on his lap. Her presence was just what he needed. Her fur was soft and warm so he started to pet her, brushing that fur with his hand. 

“What do I do, Makkachin?” He asked. “A part of me doesn’t want to go back because look at what happened.” He showed her his bandaged hand and she tried to lick his fingers. They tickled so he laughed. “Thank you. I want to go back because of Yuuri. He saved me so I should try to help him. I don’t know how though.”

Makkachin whined and sniffed around him. She could tell that he was in a lot of pain, both physical and emotional. If she had the ability to talk, she would be able to give him the advice he needed. As it was, she could just offer him some cuddles and love. Right now, she was pressing her wet nose against his palm. It didn’t hurt when that happened. 

“There has to be a way for us to be together.” He went on. “I don’t want to take him from his family but I can’t live down there either. The best I can do is keep visiting him and spending time. Unfortunately, the other mermaids aren’t happy with me. If Yuuri hadn’t been there…”

He stopped talking at that moment. Yuuri was too good for him. Yuuri along with a few other mermaids had tried to fend of the angry ones but they were outnumbered. Still, they had given Victor enough time to get to the surface and nurse his wounds. It also gave him time to think about where this relationship was going. No doubt they were starting to feel something for each other. They both wanted more out of it. As of now, they didn’t how to get that. 

_I guess I don’t have a choice but to go back. I’ll just avoid the sea life if I can._ He decided, letting his fingers get tangled in Makkachin’s fur. His desire to see Yuuri was bigger than his fear. Somehow, as soon as he felt well enough, he would go down to that city. He would find him if Yuuri couldn’t find him first. Then they could figure out a way to spend time without anyone knowing. Maybe they could discover more about themselves. 

Somehow, they’d find a way to be together.

~ ~ ~

Yuuri sat down on the rock with Phichit and Yuuko, feeling terrible deep down. His friends had been good enough to help him when the frenzy started. They had done their best to keep things calm but now they were worried. Keeping their friends and family members calm worked for now but how long would it last? If Victor did return, one of them could find him and tear him apart. He had to be careful from now. Their meetings had to be done in secret and far from where merfolk would linger. He didn't want to chase Victor away, not when he was so close. At the same, he needed Victor in one piece. He could only spend a little time while he was injured before turning away. However, he didn't meet up with the other merfolk. He knew a lot of them were still angry about this so he wanted to wait until the anger calmed down. He decided to stay down in the lost city with Yuuko and Phichit until he knew he could face the others. They both were willing to help him but they were also worried. 

“They’re still very scared of humans, Yuuri.” Yuuko said. “I know that your human probably means no harm but no one else knows that. You have to protect him as much as possible.”

“I know. He’s safe if he’s on land. I just wish I could be there with him too.” Yuuri murmured, looking down at his tail. It was so falt and he moved slowly with it. “I always wondered how I would look with legs. Would I move faster than I do? How does it feel to walk and run? I wonder how Victor uses his legs to swim. I should ask him that...if I see him again.”

“Oh, Yuuri.” Phichit sighed. “I really want you both to be together but it’s going to be hard. You have to move silently and meet in secret. I’m just worried for the times he’ll be alone. What if someone else sees him before you do?”

“I’m not too worried about meeting in secret. I can take Victor to places no one can find us. I’m just worried about what will happen after. What if Victor goes somewhere else? What if he starts looking in another part of the ocean? I know humans can move around. That’s why, if it happens, I don’t want him to forget about what we had. I want to give him something to remember me by.”

“Something to remember you?” Yuuko thought about it. “Well, I know a lot of humans really like pearls from oysters. You could give him one of those.”

“What could he do with a pearl?” Phichit asked. “It has to be something more special. Humans do like to give each other gifts but they have to come from the heart. Is there anything that Victor likes that would be special?”

Yuuri thought about this for a second and then his eye caught something glinting in the sand. “What is that?”

“What are you looking at?” Phichit turned and saw Yuuri trying to dig through the sand. “What did you find?”

“I don’t know. I…” Yuuri plucked it out of the sand and held it up. It was small, golden, and round, fitting perfectly in the palm of his hand. “Could I give him this?”

“Oh!” Yuuko gasped, looking at the designs along the side of this ring. “That is beautiful! What is it though?”

“I think humans call it a ring and they wear it on their fingers.” Phichit said. “It’s usually very expensive and a sign of affection if a human gives another human a ring. It’s a very big gesture.”

“Is that so?” Yuuri began to think more and realized that he had the perfect gift. This ring was the perfect token of appreciation. It was a way where he could say ‘thank you for being my friend’. He pictured himself putting this on Victor’s ring finger and how Victor’s face would light up at it. The more he thought about it, the guiltier he felt. He wasn’t sure if he could go through with his plan anymore. 

“Do you think he will like it?” Yuuko asked.

“I hope so.” Yuuri held it up to the light, eager to show Victor this gift. He couldn’t wait to put it on his finger. “It’s perfect.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yell at me in the comments or at my tumblr: [](http://fallsintograce.tumblr.com)

**Author's Note:**

> Well, I managed to bang this out. A thanks again to Mary for her adorable doodles and inspiration.
> 
> The other characters and stuff will be coming soon, I promise! I've got plans, tons of plans, for this one! So now I've got two merman AUs, a fluff one (this) and an angstier one (I Need Your Voice (To Cross These Lands of Ice). 
> 
> Follow me on tumblr: [fallsintograce](http://fallsintograce.tumblr.com)


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